


Encore

by Daidairo, Frozenleaf



Series: Encore-verse [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: F/M, Romantic Comedy, VGC AU, also counts as an online penpal AU LOL, except they're not in the same high school, or a high school AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-09-26 08:36:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20386816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daidairo/pseuds/Daidairo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frozenleaf/pseuds/Frozenleaf
Summary: Gladion isn't interested in being friends with the trainer who has constantly kicked his ass in competitive battling for years. He's just trying to scout out her team, that's all.





	1. Turn 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

It should have been a simple matter. Check the name of his opponent, ask for a timeslot, then look up their past teams and strategies so he can prepare for their battle.

Instead, Gladion stares blankly at his laptop screen in stunned disbelief.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he mutters. "Again?!"

Lillie looks up from her algebra at her brother's exclamation. He usually doesn't speak much unless he's spoken to, so their hours in the drawing room are generally spent in comfortable silence. Him with his laptop on one couch, her on the other side of the coffee table.

"What's wrong?" she asks, laying down her pen and stretching her fingers. From the way he's gaping like a Magikarp, it must be something significant.

Gladion closes his eyes and sighs deeply. "My first opponent for the Summer Online. It's... SailorCresselia."

A name that used to be very familiar. A name he hasn't seen for the last year and a half. A name that had, at one point, seemed to follow his in almost every online tournament he entered.

Even Lillie remembers. "Isn't that the player whom you keep getting matched against? The one you've never beaten?"

Gladion clicks his tongue. "Thanks a lot for that reminder," he grumbles, and she giggles.

His first battle with SailorCresselia happened three years ago, during a small grassroots tournament. Despite his loss, he hadn't paid much attention to her then. But at his next online tournament, the team-based Phoenix Cup, he had been matched against SailorCresselia. And then again at the World Cup of VGC. And again. And again.

For two whole years, Gladion has fought SailorCresselia (and lost) regularly in almost every online VGC tournament he entered. With so many players of Pokemon in the world, the chances of them facing each other so many times should have been as low as the possibility of a Zap Cannon under -6 accuracy. It feels like some kind of strange miracle.

Or a curse, like Hau says.

Then last year, he graduated to playing in the Master category, and their fated battles stopped. Evidently, SailorCresselia was younger than him, and still playing Senior.

He's not sure whether or not he feels relieved about that. On one hand, he wanted the chance to defeat her, at least once. On the other hand, not playing her meant that he wouldn't have to face losing to her again. In any case, the creeping sense of apprehension and frustration that comes upon him whenever he sees her name had more or less disappeared.

Until now.

"But how do you know it's her? Don't the official tournaments use real names rather than screen names?" Lillie asks.

"Yeah. But I checked the Facepage she registered." As Lillie moves to sit beside him, he glances once more at the profile page on his browser.

The cover image is of a well-tended garden, with some Pokemon plushies scattered artfully around. Everything else is locked, aside from several profile pics and the usual basic information.

_ **Moon Fukuro (SailorCresselia)** _  
_Do you know Moon?_  
_To see what she shares with friends, send her a friend request_  
_\- Studying at Masara High School_  
_\- Lives in Masara, Kanto_  
_\- From Kanto_

"Could it be someone who uses the same screen name?" Lillie suggests. "SailorMoon is a well known anime, after all, and Cresselia is pretty popular."

"It's possible," Gladion concedes. But as he stares at the Cresselia plush toy on her current avatar, he has a sinking feeling that his curse is about to reactivate.

Just then, a messenger notification pops up in the corner of his screen.

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Hey, I'm Moon! _  
_Looks like we'll be facing each other in the first round of Summer Online :-) _  
_I'm free between UTC 3am to 8am, Sunday _  
_How about you?'_

Gladion narrows his eyes at the time period. 5 to 10pm in Alolan time. It was similar to the times SailorCresselia used to ask for.

"If it's the same person, surely she would have recognised your name when she clicked on your Facepage," Lillie says, peering over his shoulder. "I mean, you _have_ fought each other a lot. Unless she's really oblivious..."

Gladion shrugs.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Im gladion_  
_Utc 3am is fine'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Great! _  
_I'll go ahead and register then ^^'_

"Maybe you should ask her," Lillie says.

"Ask what? 'Are you the SailorCresselia who keeps kicking my ass?'"

Lillie laughs. "Well, maybe you'll get lucky and she's a different SailorCresselia. You might be able to pass the round then."

Gladion throws his sister a withering glare. "You say it like I have no chance of beating her otherwise."

"I'm just teasing." Lillie smiles at him, completely unwithered. "You know I'm the biggest supporter of my wonderful big brother- Oh, look, she's replied."

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Registered! _  
_We got Room 5426'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Ok_  
_Will be there'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Great, see you then!'_

A slight pause. The words '_Moon is typing..._' flit across the bottom of the messenger screen.

_'Can't wait to beat you_  
_Again ;D'_

* * *

"Alola!"

The moment Lillie opens the door, Zo, their Papillon, races over to jump up at the visitor.

"Hello, Hau!" Lillie beams, closing the door behind him. "Will you be staying for dinner? I'll have to let Hobbes know."

"Of course! Hobbes' cooking is always a reason to stay," Hau says, bending down to ruffle Zo's ears. Looking across at Gladion, seated in front of his laptop at the coffee table, he grins. "Also, I gotta stay and help comfort Glad when he loses."

"Shut up and get out," Gladion growls, not even bothering to look up. Silva, the German Shepherd lying across his lap, whines at his tone of annoyance. Absently, he strokes him.

Lillie chuckles and heads to the kitchen with Zo at her feet. Hau plonks himself down on the Raichu-shaped cushion beside Gladion.

"Any luck finding her team?" he asks.

"No."

Players worldwide often put up team reports and analyses after tournaments. Unfortunately, Kantonian players have a tendency to keep to themselves, so it is difficult to find information on teams and players unless they show up in the official tournaments. Moon has never participated in those, it seemed.

The last time Gladion fought her, they were playing XY, but with the rules and Pokemon of ORAS now, he has no idea what to expect from her.

5pm is ticking closer every minute.

"I still can't believe you're facing her _again_. How many times have you lost to SailorCresselia now? Ten?"

"Nine," Gladion says through gritted teeth.

Hau snickers. "Wow, nine times instead of ten! That's a big difference," he remarks.

Gladion glares at him. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you."

"Because a Mr Grumpypants like you needs someone funny like me to brighten up your day," Hau replies cheerily, waggling finger guns at him.

"You've no right to laugh, she beat you when you fought her, too."

Hau sighs dramatically. "That's true."

Gladion rolls his eyes. He turns back to stare unseeingly at his screen, scrolling idly down a list of common Kantonian teams.

He knows that he's not the best VGC player in the world. But losing so many times to the same person... If he were to be honest, it sucks.

No matter what he tried, no matter what teams he brought against Moon, he had never been able to win against her. It gave him the uncomfortable impression that he was stuck at the same level, never improving. A frustrating feeling.

But from his slowly rising placements at local tournaments, he knows it isn't true. He places Top 8 in Alola pretty regularly nowadays, and performs well enough online. Playing in Masters has given him even more experience, and he's confident that Current Gladion is a much better player than Past Gladion. Perhaps on this tenth time, he will finally be able to beat her.

Perhaps.

"So, which team are you gonna use? X-Ray with Thundurus?" Hau asks.

Gladion nods. "It's the only really successful team I've played this season."

Hau grins wryly. "I get that. I'll never understand how my gramps used to juggle 3 different teams at the same time."

"Your grandfather is-"

Just then, the alarm on the battle dock beeps. Gladion flips open his 3DS and places it on the dock. It is time.

_ **Summer Online Tournament 2016** _  
_Masters Division Round 1_  
_Room 5426_  
_15/04/2016_  
_LoneWulf508 vs SailorCresselia_  
_Standby..._

_Begin match?_  
_ **Yes** _ _ / No_

"Whoop, here we go!" Hau thumps him on the back. "All the best, cousin!"

Gladion takes a deep breath, and presses the A button.

Let the battle begin.

* * *

First match goes to Moon. Second match to him. Final match...

Moon wins.

Gladion slams his fist on the table as the HP bar on his Xerneas drops to zero. Beside him, Hau groans in sympathy.

"Man, she's good," he says, shaking his head in admiration.

She really is, Gladion thinks. As usual, he finds himself (rather unwillingly) impressed by Moon's ability to read ahead and anticipate his moves. No matter how much he tries to outguess her, she is often one step ahead of him. And this time, she really used her Xerndon to great effect.

As a competitive player, Gladion appreciates her amazing plays. He really does.

But he has lost. _Again_.

"Maybe you should have gone with Volcarona," Hau is saying.

A notification rings on his laptop, and he turns to look at it.

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Thanks for the battle!_  
_You played pretty well :-)'_

Gladion snorts, wondering if she is being sarcastic.

"...but you brought Scrafty there to..." Hau continues.

Then another notification pops up: _'Moon Fukuro has sent you a friend request.'_

"...don't see how you could have... Glad? What's up?"

His surprise must be showing.

"She's added me as a friend."

"Wow, really?!" Hau leans over to look, then whistles. "Accept it!"

"Why the hell would I want to be friends with her?" It isn't her fault that she plays so well, he knows. But each time he sees her name, annoyance fills him anyway. She reminds him of all the times he's fought, made the wrong judgments, and lost.

There is simply no reason why he should add her as a friend.

"But she might post her reports and teams on her page," Hau points out. "If you ever face her again in future tourneys..."

Gladion stares at the tiny Cresselia thumbnail. His hand hovers over the touchpad.

_ **Confirm** _

And clicks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D Thanks also to pkmntrashcan for being the third pair of eyes to look over some parts for me so I could make a decision about formatting!
> 
> VGC Glossary
> 
> \- Category: Junior, Senior, Master  
Age categories in official tournaments  
Junior = Under 12, Senior = 12-15, Master = 16 and above
> 
> \- X-Ray: The common combination of Xerneas and Rayquaza in a team
> 
> \- Xerndon: The common combination of Xerneas and Groudon in a team


	2. Turn 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

Gladion doesn't normally use Facepage very much.

He has it open because of messenger, but otherwise, he spends less than twenty minutes every week scrolling the site. After all, most people in the VGC community post team reports and analyses on the Nuggetbridge forums, or, less frequently, Fumblr. Facepage activity in the community generally consists of speculations, trailers, and news releases on the upcoming Gen 7 games.

But when he does look at his feed, he often sees Moon's posts.

Contrary to what he had hoped for, Moon doesn't post up team reports at all. Though she uses Facepage quite regularly, her posts are more likely to be photos of the plants she grew (apparently, she is a dedicated gardener and herbalist), a new Pokemon plush, or her friends. Once in a while, however, she puts up one-line musings about her considerations regarding team building.

"Gengar is too easily targetted now"

"Trying Rayogre with Gengar. Any thoughts @Red?"

"Considering Megamence :-)"

"Choice Band or Focus Sash?"

He keeps a close eye out for these posts. With them, he managed to anticipate Moon bringing Amoonguss and Salamence to the MegaFrenzy Tournament (team based, no CP). Although he still lost in the end, it had been a closer call than usual.

It is for that reason that Gladion finds himself stopping his idle scrolling each time he sees the Rowlet display pic (Moon fell in love the moment the grass starter was announced; half her shared posts are of Rowlet now).

Not that he is paying all that much attention to Moon especially. Just a quick glance each time he's on Facepage. She's not the only competitor he has to face, after all.

But the first time they actually converse is the night of Worlds, day 1.

Gladion shares the trailer released at the opening ceremony, announcing the release date of Pokemon Sun and Moon (November 18). Amongst other new Pokemon, they also finally reveal the evolution lines of the three starters.

**Hau D'You Do** HAHAHAHAHA ITS FIRE AND DARK  
Like Reply

**Hau D'You Do **NOT FIRE AND FIGHTING  
Like Reply

**Hau D'You Do **THE CURSE IS BROKEN  
Like Reply

**Hau D'You Do **omg it LOOKS like that but its not a fighting  
Like Reply

**Gladion Aether** Apparently hes based off heel wrestlers, look that up  
Like Reply

** Hau D'You Do **o wow nice trvia  
Like Reply

**Hau D'You Do **who you gonna pick  
Like Reply

**Hau D'You Do **i call dibs on popplio =D  
Like Reply

**Gladion Aether **Well he looks about as derpy as you so. Good choice  
Like Reply

** Hau D'You Do **HEYYYYYYYY!  
Like Reply

**Hau D'You Do **and you!? you wuold just pick incineror because hes a dark type what a damn edgelord  
Like Reply

**Gladion Aether **Its not my fault they made the fire guy the coolest one  
Like Reply

**Moon Fukuro** All Pokemon are amazing and wonderful and adorable, but you know what  
Rowlet is the bestest best child  
Sorry I don't make the rules :-)  
Like Reply

**Hau D'You Do **oooh hey Glad maybe with the type advantage you might actually beat her lmao (ᗒᗨᗕ)''  
Like Reply

**Moon Fukuro** >ᗨ< I'd love to see him try  
Like Reply

**Gladion Aether **...does that mean you're definitely using decidueye on your '17 team  
Like Reply

** Moon Fukuro** If I say yes, will you use your Incineroar? ;-D  
Like Reply

** Gladion Aether **Depends on the meta  
Like Reply

** Moon Fukuro** But we're rivals! You're obligated to bring the starter that's super effective to mine!  
Like Reply

Despite himself, Gladion laughs. He doesn't miss the slight implication of Moon being the main protagonist, and therefore more likely to win.

** Gladion Aether **I dont recall us signing any rivalry agreement  
Like Reply

** Moon Fukuro** We've fought each other in tournaments 11 times across 3 years  
Like Reply

** Moon Fukuro** I think it's fate :-)  
Like Reply

** Gladion Aether **I believe in changing fate with my own hands  
Like Reply

** Moon Fukuro** If that's a declaration of war, I accept =D  
Like Reply

He doesn't need Hau's sudden message to tell him that Moon, too, remembers him and all the times they battled. He doesn't know why that matters, either.

* * *

The last tournament in the VGC '16 format is the Holiday Cup. Set three weeks before Sun and Moon's release, it is an online tournament that offers only as much CP as a Premier Challenge. Most of the regulars Gladion knows aren't even bothering with it, preferring to wait for SuMo instead.

But Moon said in a comment to her friend that she was competing... and then somehow Gladion found himself registered for it, too.

He isn't surprised when they get allocated to the same block, nor when they are matched up in the sixth round, both with a 6-0-0 score. Fate really does like pitting them against each other.

But a Unovan player who fought Moon in the previous round posted her team for the Cup in his report: Smeargle, Xerneas, Salamence, Groudon, Kangaskhan, Cresselia.

It is very similar to the team she used in the Summer Online. Gladion asks Hau to help him train against that team, and after a week of testing, he's a lot more confident than he has ever been facing Moon. Although victory is never certain, especially when so much depends on the leads or chosen Pokemon, he does at least have an idea what to expect this time.

So he sits in front of his 3DS at 8.40, waiting. At 8.50, he enters the battle room.

_ **Holiday Cup 2016** _  
_Masters Division Round 6_  
_Room 248_  
_29/10/2016_  
_LoneWulf508 vs SailorCresselia_  
_Standby..._

8.55pm.

_Standby..._

8.59pm.

_Standby..._

Gladion notices that Moon is not online on Facepage.

9.00pm.

_Opponent SailorCresselia has not entered the room. The opponent will forfeit the match in ten minutes._  
_9:57 mins_

Gladion stares blankly at his 3DS for a few seconds. Spinning his chair around to face his laptop, he fires off several messages.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_What are you doing_  
_The match has started_  
_You got 10 mins to log in_  
_Moon what the hell'_

There is no reply. Moon's status is still offline.

_'If you dont get online youre gonna |'_

His fingers pause above the keyboard. It's pointless to spam messages at her if she's not even online, but there isn't anything else he can do to alert her.

_5:21 mins_

_3:07 mins_

_1:42 mins_

_0:35 mins_

This cannot be happening.

Gladion's eyes are fixed on the timer as it slowly winds down. Second by second. Until finally...

_0:00 mins_

_The match was forfeited._

"No!"

He jumps to his feet, unconsciously, sending his chair rolling backwards. On his bed, Silva and Zo are whining, startled at the sudden commotion.

But all he sees is the 7-0-0 next to his name, and the unreceived messages on Facepage.

* * *

_Messenger 4.26am_  
_ **Moon Fukuro** _  
_Really sorry!_

Gladion wakes slowly. Tiny rays of sunlight are creeping in through the crack in the curtains. He rolls over and grabs his phone from the bedside table. Opening one bleary eye, he checks the time.

7am. Still too early to get up. His hand drops, his eye closes.

Then his mind registers the message notification, and he shoots up, scrambling to unlock the phone.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_You got 10 mins to log in_  
_Moon what the hell_  
_GOD WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_I'm sorry_  
_I completely forgot about our match_  
_Was having a pet emergency earlier _  
_Really really sorry! m(_)m'_

The annoyance and incredulity that had flooded him ten seconds before fizzed away almost as quickly when he read the third line.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_What happened'_

It is past 2am in Kanto, but the _Seen_ notification appears beneath his message.

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_My dog Wan_  
_He dislocated his knee _  
_I think it's patella in English? _  
_I had to rush him to the vet because he was in pain_  
_Lost track of time completely '_

Gladion winces. Wan is a Kantonian Spitz puppy that Moon adopted recently, he recalls from her photos. Luxating patellas is a common health concern in the breed, where the kneecap becomes displaced from its regular position. A problem that Gladion knows all too well.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Is his case severe?'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_I don't really know oTL_  
_The vet put it back in place this time and he seems ok for now_  
_But she says it's a temporary fix, and he'll need to undergo surgery_  
_To be honest I'm pretty worried about that...'_

Gladion still remembers how he had felt years ago, when his first dog, Blackie, had been hurt due to a popped knee. Turning to Zo, who is snoozing at the foot of his bed, he strokes him gently, smiling when the dog squirms contentedly in his sleep.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Get a second opinion_  
_If his case isnt too bad he might not need surgery_  
_I had a spitz mix years ago with luxating patellas_  
_Father didnt think surgery was a good idea because of the risks involved_  
_He recommended supplements for the joints, diet control, and so on_  
_Blackie lived a long healthy life without surgery_  
_Just make sure you get another professional opinion before you decide'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Your father is a vet?'_

Gladion hesitates, then takes a deep breath and types.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_He was a vet. He died years ago'_

A sense of hollowness fills his heart at the thought of his father. Eight years have gone by since Professor Mohn passed away, but the pain of losing him still rears its head every now and then. Lillie, too, misses him a great deal, and as for their mother...

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Oh no_  
_I'm sorry'_

_'_ _ **Gladion: ** _  
_Its fine_  
_Anyway go look for another vet'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_I'll try in the next city ;w;_  
_Our town is too small and only has livestock specialists'_

He spends the next two hour talking about Blackie; how he gave him glucosamine, chondroitin, fish oil supplements. How to keep a look out for lameness in Wan. To watch his diet, exercise him strictly, and keep him from drastic acrobatics that might damage his legs. He links her to the Aether Pharmaceuticals site, so she can read up on the use of the vitamins and supplements.

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Thanks so much for the advice_  
_I feel a lot calmer now'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Hope your dog gets better soon'_

'_**Moon:**_  
_Thanks_  
_You're a lot sweeter than you seemed at first haha'_

"I don't-" Gladion starts to say, then catches himself. Zo cocks open an eye and looks at him. He scowls.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Im just doing it for the dog'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_HAHAHA_  
_Thank you anyway :-) _  
_And I'm sorry about the match'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Its fine_  
_Just gimme a chance to beat you for real next year'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Of course_  
_I have no intention to lose, though ;)'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Bring it on'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D Thanks also to pkmntrashcan for being the third pair of eyes to look over some parts for me so I could make a decision about formatting!
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on dog healthcare, so if there are any inaccuracies or problems with that part, I apologise ;w; 
> 
> VGC Glossary
> 
> \- Team Report  
Articles written by players describing the teams they use in a tournament; their reasoning behind choices, as well as how they fared during the tournament
> 
> \- Rayogre: The common combination of Rayquaza and Kyogre in a team
> 
> \- Megamence: Mega Salamence
> 
> \- CP: Championship Points. Players earn CP based on their final placements at official VGC events/online tournaments. CP are needed to qualify for the annual World Championships.
> 
> \- Worlds: Common abbreviation for the Pokemon World Championships, an annual tournament held to determine the World Champions of each age division.
> 
> \- Premier Challenge: Small scale tournament with very little CP payout. A good starting point for beginner players in VGC.


	3. Turn 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Heyyy o/_  
_We went to get a second opinion from another vet today_  
_He agreed that since Wan is still really young, there's no great damage to his knees yet_  
_So we can prevent him from getting worse _  
_He agreed with the glucosamine and chondroitin too_  
_We're going to try that for a while_  
_If it worsens, then we'll have to go for surgery_  
_But for now we'll see how it goes :-)'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Ok_  
_Keep exercising him safely_  
_Dont overfeed him_  
_Excess weight can injure his joints'_

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _  
_Yeah, the vet said that too_  
_He taught me some exercises to strengthen Wan's muscles'_

_'_ _ **Gladion: ** _  
_You can also give him fish oil supplements _  
_The antioxidants in it will help'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Okay, will try_  
_Thanks again! ^^'_

* * *

_(Photo of Kantonian Spitz walking, looking at the camera, with tilted head and bright eyes)_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Two weeks since we started treatment and he's responding pretty well to the supplements!_  
_We're going out to the game shop for obvious reasons :-)'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_I assume youll be getting moon version'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Obvious reasons :-) You?'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Im getting sun'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Trade me a Cottonee when you catch one'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Give me a mandibuzz in return'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Another dark type? oO_  
_Looks like Hau was right about you being an edgelord www'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Get out'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_HAHAHAHAHA'_

* * *

_(Photo of 3DS screen, showing a Dartix preening on top of a wooden perch)_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Just cleared the second gym :-) _  
_My owl child evolved!'_

_(Slightly blurred photo of 3DS screen, showing an Incineroar facing an Alolan Marowak against a rocky background)_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_3rd gym now_  
_Try harder'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_=( grrr'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Hows wan?'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_He's doing fine! _  
_Just went for review yesterday_  
_Vet is pretty happy with his progress :-)'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Good'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Hey hey'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_What'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Wanna see who clears the Pokemon League first? :D'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Im 1 gym ahead of you_  
_Should you really be asking that'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Slow and steady wins the race ;D'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Go ahead and try'_

* * *

_(Photo of Wan sleeping on a soft white rug)_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Look at my child_  
_he's so cute 3'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Are you just messaging me to show off your dog'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Yes'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Do you have any idea what time it is here'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_No?'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Its 3am_  
_Go away'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Okay okayyy_  
_But you know_  
_If you were already asleep you wouldn't have checked your messages_  
_So it's not my fault :-)'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Youre very annoying do you know that'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_HAHAHAHAHAHA_  
_Go to sleep Mr Grumpy_  
_You're 58% ruder when you're tired'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Shut up'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Good night! o/'_

* * *

_(Photo of 3DS screen, showing a male trainer surrounded by Incineroar, Silvally, Crobat, Lucario, Porygon-Z and Weavile. Golden text below reads: Congratulations on becoming Pokemon League Champion!)_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_ASDJFLKFSJSDFFJKSLH SO FAST'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Told you'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Grrr_  
_Okay, but how many pokemon have you caught?'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_109'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Behold! _  
_I have 137!'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_We werent competing for numbers'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_The tagline of the series is "Gotta Catch 'Em All" for a reason =>'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Whatever_  
_Anyway pcs are approaching_  
_Youd better finish the game and start teambuilding'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_Oh, I will_  
_Gotta keep my promise to beat you this year ;D'_

* * *

_(Image of young man, labelled ENCORE, trying to close the door on another young man, labelled BELLY DRUM, as he tries to get out of a locker)_

Gladion snorts, trying not to laugh out loud.

It is lunch time at Melemele High, and he is seated at the round marble table beside the school garden. It is some distance away from the vending machines of the school cafeteria, so students generally don't choose to sit there. At least, that was the case until Hau realised that Gladion camps there everyday, so nowadays a small group of people he <strike>considers friends</strike> tolerates are often hanging around chatting.

They turn from their conversation now to look at him quizzically.

"That's a rare sound. Gladion laughing, I mean," Kiawe observes.

"Don't be rude, he laughs frequently!" Hau scolds. "About once a month, maybe."

"Ha ha, very funny. Can you hear me laughing now?" Gladion deadpans, typing a quick reply to Moon.

"Is it the SailorCresselia girl again?" Kiawe asks, grinning.

"The one who keeps getting matched up against him?" Ilima asks.

"He's been messaging her a lot these days," Kiawe replies.

Gladion scowls at him. "I don't message her. _She_ spams me a lot."

"Then how do you explain all those times in class where I see you taking photos of your 3DS under the table?"

"... That was just... to compare team builds!" To his mortification, he can feel his face burning. Kiawe is such a damn traitor.

"Oh my god." Hau points his fork at Gladion, a half-eaten cheesy fry hanging off it. "And you were the one who said, and I quote, 'Why the hell would I want to be friends with her?'!"

Gladion throws his crumpled sandwich wrapping at Hau's face. "Shut up."

They aren't exactly _friends, _he thinks. Acquaintances, perhaps. Rivals, certainly. But conversations between them were limited to photos of their dogs, game screenshots, or occasionally, VGC memes. Sometimes she links fanarts of Type:Null and Silvally to him, knowing how much he likes them. Sometimes he asks after Wan's knees.

But other than the fact that she loves Pokemon, dogs, and plants, he didn't really know anything about her.

"Give him a break," Ilima says with a soft chuckle. "They've never even met."

* * *

The announcement for the 2017 Championship Series finally drops. World Championships are to be held in Alola, from the 18th to 20th of August. Quite fitting, considering how Sun and Moon are set in Alola. VGC players all over the world are buzzing over the season's ruleset, particularly with Mega Stones being banned from use, and the lack of restricted Pokemon once again.

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_I was tempted to change my handle to SailorLunala instead_  
_But if I can't actually use Lunala then what even is the point ;w;'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Wait 2 years_  
_Theyll probably do a sinnoh remake and allow restricteds'_

_ **'Moon: ** _  
_SINNOH REMAKE YES!_  
_But also I want my Mega Gengar back again </3'_

_ **'Gladion: ** _  
_Are you going to try for Worlds this year'_

The question pops out before he thinks, and he stares at his own sentence.

It is all Ilima's fault, putting in his mind the thought that they have never-

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _  
_Why? _  
_Do you want to meet me that much? :-)'_

Gladion tosses his phone aggressively onto his bed and turns back to his geography essay.

After all, it's not like he hasn't _seen_ Moon before. She had once sent him a selfie of herself with Wan, sitting on the winter-faded grass in her garden. He knows that she has short black hair (slightly curled), blue-grey eyes (the colour of the sea on a cloudy day), a scattering of freckles across her rounded cheeks. (No, he didn't spend a whole week looking at that photo every single day. Only about once every three days.)

But he has never met her.

Did he even _want_ to?

To his chagrin, Silva grabs his phone from the duvet and runs over to him, dropping it at his feet.

'We're not playing fetch here, buddy," he says with a reluctant smile, picking up the slightly wet phone and scratching Silva under the chin. He wipes it off and stares at the screen.

_'_ _ **Moon:** _  
_I'd love to go to Worlds but_  
_Money's kind of an issue, haha TTwTT_  
_But Kanto's re-establishing their system for paid invites across all the regions so_  
_Depending on how that goes... It might be a possibility? :D_  
_Alola's cheaper than Unova or Kalos, anyway'_

Paid invites, or travel awards, are issued by the distribution company for each country. Usually, they are offered to the top 8 players of the region (ranked by CP). Kanto, however, had for years offered travel awards only to finalists of Internationals held in the country. It was a constant source of complaint for the Kantonian players in the past.

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _  
_How about you? :-) _  
_Have you ever attended Worlds?"_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_No'_

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _  
_Why not?'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Couldnt leave the dogs'_

He looks down at Silva, who is now sprawled under his feet. Reaching down, he tickles him, chuckling when Silva rolls over and pedals his legs. Looking at him now, one can hardly believe that he used to be wild and ferocious, lashing out at anyone who came near him.

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Silva was abused by his previous owner_  
_Tiny cage not enough food or water_  
_He was in a pretty horrible state when rescuers brought him in_  
_Ticks, broken foot, bruises'_

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _  
_Oh god_  
_The poor baby _  
_Please tell me the owner was charged D:'_

_'_ _ **Gladion: ** _  
_He got fined_  
_But silva wouldnt trust anyone for ages after that_  
_He finally got used to me_  
_But whenever i left him for long periods_  
_Hed start panicking_  
_So i didnt want to leave him while i went to worlds'_

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _  
_Is he better now? ;_;'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _  
_Yeah'_

He points his phone at Silva, who barks.

_(Photo of derpy faced German Shepherd lying beneath a pair of pale feet, tongue out, limbs pawing)_

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _  
_Beautiful boy~~_  
_Tell him I love him very much_  
_And I'm coming to give him the biggest hug ever'_

Gladion smiles.

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _  
_See who gets enough CP to qualify for Worlds first?'_

_'_ _ **Gladion: ** _  
_Challenge accepted'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D Thanks also to pkmntrashcan for being the third pair of eyes to look over some parts for me so I could make a decision about formatting!
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on dog healthcare, so if there are any inaccuracies or problems with that part, I apologise ;w;


	4. Turn 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

Team building is one of many important aspects of playing VGC. In the earliest days of a new season, particularly when a new generation is introduced, nobody knows what kinds of teams would become the newest trends. As such, early teams tend to be the most varied, before the world settles down into common cores.

Three months after the release of SuMo, with three major tournaments and four online ones behind them, several patterns have begun to show. Hau seems to have decided on Surge Offence, and is still debating who to support them with.

Gladion, however, still has no idea what team he wants to play.

He has tried the most popular team cores: Double Duck, Gastrodon + Arcanine + Celesteela, AFK, and more. But somehow, none of them really worked out well for him. The Midseason Showdown in Paniola is fast approaching, and he still has to spend time testing and practicing after he makes his choices.

_'**Moon: **_  
_Okay, what's your favourite Pokemon this gen? _  
_Silvally right?_  
_Why not use him? :-)'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Because his stats are average and his move pool bad_  
_Theres no point_  
_He pales in comparison to the other mons available'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_If you love him, use him!_  
_Build a team around him! _  
_It's not like he's a Magikarp XD_  
_His stats may not be great, but they're decent, not bad_  
_And his move pool is actually pretty varied_  
_So why not give him a try?'_

Gladion stares at his screen for a few moments, thinking. He has never really attempted to build 'special snowflake' teams, preferring instead to stay with clear, established teams, spending more of his time on familiarising himself with the usage of them.

_'**Gladion:**_  
_What are you playing'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_That'd be tellinggggg~ ;-) _  
_Not yet_  
_But I'll give you a hint_  
_I chose two Pokemon that I really love :-)'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Amuk _  
_Decidueye_  
_Toxapex'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_Ding ding!_  
_One of those is correct~!'_

Gladion shakes his head, chuckling slightly. Alolan-Muk is a pretty common choice. At the same time, Moon does occasionally deviate from the norm to pick lesser used Pokemon that she loves, so it could be any of the three.

'**_Moon: _**  
_Anyway give Silvally a try_  
_You never know what you might be able to do with him :-)'_

He can't say exactly why he is so drawn to Type:Null and Silvally. Perhaps it was his backstory, how he was created and experimented on by selfish humans to fight Ultra Beasts. Perhaps because his name is very similar to Silva's. But he really loves the chimera Pokemon, so maybe…

Maybe it's worth a shot.

* * *

_'**Moon: **_  
_MSS tomorrow! _  
_Are you ready? =D'_

_'**Gladion: **_  
_I guess'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_All the best!_  
_I really want to see how you're using Silvally =D'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_So you can figure out how to deal with him when we fight each other?'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_Oops, busted! www_  
_Anyway, good luck tomorrow!_  
_Say goodnight to Silva and Zo for me :-)'_

_(Photo of two sleeping dogs in a nest of blankets)_

_'**Moon: **_  
<3 <3 <3 <3'

* * *

Every year, Paniola Town hosts several Midseason Showdowns at the Rocky Game Mart. The turnout varies between 70 to 100 participants for all three age divisions, but thankfully, there is a big enough hall next to the shop that the owners always rent for the tournaments. Rows of white plastic tables are set out, with three of the shop's four Holographic Battle Projection Systems placed at one end. Prizes, generally Pokemon plushies of varying sizes, sit on a table at the other end, near the judges' booth.

Usually, there are 7 rounds of swiss, subject to change depending on the total number of players. The top 8 players, ranked by win-loss ratio, will progress to single elimination battles, often held on the following day. CP payout varies depending on the tournament, but of course, the higher the position placed, the more CP a player would receive.

Registration, team sheet checks, a quick address by the event organiser. At last, the head judge announces the start of the first round. Gladion greets his opponent with a handshake, and the battle begins.

The idea for his Silvally-Mimikyu team is simple: Mimikyu, as a Ghost type, is immune to Normal type attacks, so Silvally can execute Explosion while Mimikyu sets up either Sword Dance or Trick Room in peace. The latter would then allow Gigalith to come in strongly, while Mimikyu itself packs quite a punch with its enhanced stats on Play Rough.

Despite its simplicity, all of Gladion's opponents fail to anticipate his strategy. He breezes through the swiss rounds, losing only once due to bad reads and hax.

"Did you see his face when Silvally exploded?" Hau crows gleefully as Gladion turns in his final match slip at the judge's table. "He was like… HOLY SHIT!"

Gladion smirks. "You're exaggerating."

In truth, he does feel a bit of smug satisfaction when he sees his opponents' reactions. Not that he would admit it.

"Did you make it?" he asks instead.

"6-1-0, 6th place!" Hau declares. "So yes, I'll be coming back with you tomorrow!"

"Good job." Gladion slaps him on the back, and he stumbles slightly.

"Thanks!" Hau beams. "It's all thanks to you, really. Wouldn't have come back to compete if it weren't for your encouragement, you know?"

Gladion raises his eyebrows. His actual words were more along the lines of _"It's not like you're a bad player. Stop using 'enjoying battles' as an excuse not to try hard just because you think you're not living up to Hala's reputation, and get your ass back in the scene where you really want it to be." _Which isn't exactly 'encouragement_'. _But hey, it worked.

And now Hau has reached the top cut for an MSS, the highest he has placed since his two-year hiatus.

Gladion holds out a fist. "Do your best tomorrow."

Hau fist bumps him. "You too! After all," he adds slyly, "You might get streamed in top cut, you know?"

Gladion frowns. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Hau just smiles.

* * *

_'**Moon: **_  
_So? Did you make Top Cut? :-)'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_6-1-0'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_Yayyyy! Congratulations!_  
_I'll be watching the online stream tomorrow ^^'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_The matches start at 10_  
_Isnt that like 5am monday in kanto_  
_You have school'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_…_  
_Fine, I'll watch afterwards :-(_  
_All the best! Go for the win!'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Of course'_

* * *

On the second day of competition, the crowds are slightly smaller. The MSS top cut players return, of course, while others attend to play in the PC organised for the same day. Unlike Worlds, most tournaments don't usually hold side events, so PCs are the only way to make sure the place isn't completely empty on the second day.

Gladion clears the elimination matches one at a time. Some of the other top 8 players are regulars; Kiawe, Lana, Acerola. But SuMo has attracted quite a large number of new players to the competitive scene, and Gladion sees many unfamiliar faces in the local tournaments this year.

His semi-finals opponent is using a double duck team, one of the easiest for Gladion's team to handle. Sure enough, Silvally works his usual explosive magic. Though the Golduck managed to survive in the second game, his Hydro Vortex merely busted Mimikyu's Disguise, and his partner Pelipper is now gone. Without rain, the opposing Tapu Koko cannot use Thunder safely either, and the rest of the battle is a clean sweep for Gladion.

"Damn, I can't believe you managed to use Silvally in a team," his opponent says at last, reaching over to shake hands. "Everyone thought he was a lousy Arceus clone with a horrible movepool."

Gladion smirks. "They thought wrong."

So did he, originally. After all, he wouldn't have tried to figure out a way to use Silvally if it weren't for Moon.

As he pulls his bag over his shoulder, he hears a cheer rise from the HBPS end, nearly loud enough to cover the voices of the commentators.

"...and despite the critical hit, that's a win for Hau! What a comeback!"

"Indeed! Nobody would have expected this after such an unfortunate opening..."

Gladion walks over, watching Hau pull off his headphones and shake hands with his opponent, a huge smile on his face. His best friend stuffs his notebook into his backpack, then looks around. Seeing Gladion approaching, his grin widens, and he waves.

"Did you win?" he yells.

"Facing you in the finals!" Gladion calls back.

"Awesome!" Hau tosses his A-Raichu mascot into the air, nearly hitting the camera man beside him. "Hey, let's go grab a drink before the-"

"Wait, Hau! Could we have an interview with you regarding the previous match?" Makala, one of the commentators, asks. Hau looks over to Gladion, who shrugs.

"I'll get you something," he says.

"Lemonade with lots of ice!" Hau yells.

Victors of streamed matches are always asked to do a short interview afterwards, to talk about the round, their strategies, and upcoming matches. Gladion mostly tries to escape his interviews by disappearing before they can catch him. It isn't always bad, but when the commentator is one of the less knowledgeable ones who ask inane questions like "Did you wear red to match your Char Y?" he ends up wanting to strangle someone.

As he stands in the queue for the drink bar, he feels his phone vibrate.

_'**Moon: **_  
_Just watched Hau's battle on stream! _  
_He was amazing! ^^'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Isnt it school hours right now'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_…yes?_  
_I'm watching on my phone_  
_The thing about being a straight-A student_  
_Is that the teachers never expect you to be breaking the rules_  
_:-) :-) :-)'_

Gladion snorts. Fair enough. Considering how he has stayed up past 3am to watch foreign streams before, he can't really fault her for that.

_'**Moon: **_  
_Soooooooooo..._  
_You'll be playing Hau in the finals!'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Yeah'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_Do you think you can win? :-)'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Who knows_  
_I trained with him_  
_He knows exactly how my team works'_

_'**Moon: **_  
_But you also know exactly how his team works ;-)'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_That's true'_

Gladion collects two cups of lemonade (one with lots of ice) and heads back to the commentators' table. He reaches just as Makala wraps up, thanking Hau for his time. Hau nods to her and slips off the stool he was perched on.

"Did you get me- OW HEY THAT'S COLD!" Hau yelps as Gladion thrusts the icy cup at his cheek.

"You asked for extra ice," Gladion says, smirking. As Hau complains, his phone buzzes again.

_'**Moon: **_  
_Do your best!_  
_I'm cheering for you :-)'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_You do realise were rivals right'_

_'**Moon:**_  
_But we're also friends!_  
_Friends cheer for each other!'_

"We're not-" Gladion starts to say. His grip on his phone tightens slightly.

"Not what?" Hau asks.

"It's... Nothing."

_'**Moon: **_  
_So good luck, friend! o/'_

In spite of himself, Gladion smiles.

_'**Gladion: **_  
_Thanks'_

The final round will soon begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D She also choreographed the double duck vs silva-mimi battle this chapter!
> 
> VGC Glossary
> 
> \- Double Duck: The common combination of Pelipper and Golduck in a team
> 
> \- AFK: The common combination of Arcanine, Tapu Fini and Kartana in a team
> 
> \- MSS: Midseason Showdown. Medium scale tournament with average CP payout. 
> 
> \- Team sheet check: Occurs before a tournament to check the teams of players for rule breaks or cheats.
> 
> \- Hax: A term to describe elements that are dependent on RNG. Examples include critical hits, 10% flinches and fully paralyzed turns.
> 
> \- Match slip: A piece of paper which both players have to sign after a round to acknowledge the games won and lost.
> 
> The Silvally team was created by KOOTA, which he used to amazing effect in the Battle Road Gloria tournament in 2017.


	5. Turn 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

The Holographic Battle Projection System, or HBPS, was developed three years ago to allow Pokemon battles to come to life. Due to the cost and maintenance, game shops and arcades are generally the only places where one can be found. Though players can play Pokemon and battle each other without a HBPS, it is undeniably exciting to watch holographic projections of their carefully trained teams fighting.

It has been a while since Gladion got the chance to use one; at tournaments, only streamed battles (chosen almost at random sometimes) get to use the system. As he places his DS on the battle dock attached to the HBPS, he wonders what Silvally would look like in 3D. After all, Silvally is the only one on their teams he hasn't seen on stream before.

Noise-cancelling headphones are to be worn by all players during battles, connected to the HBPS so that all they will hear is the music and sound effects from the game. Gladion pulls them on, and the buzz of the crowd and the commentators disappear. Across the 2-metre wide circular battlefield, Hau gives him a thumbs up, and he grins.

At the Head Judge's call, the battle begins. With flashes of lights, their teams appear on the field in two lines for team preview.

On Gladion's side, Silvally, Mimikyu, Gigalith, Tapu Koko, Celesteela, and Garchomp.

On Hau's side, Kartana, Tapu Koko, Alolan-Raichu, Gigalith, Gyarados, and Porygon2.

They open the first game with Silvally and Mimikyu against Tapu Koko and Raichu. Knowing that Hau would be anticipating an Explosion, as both Koko and Raichu are frail, Gladion chooses to swap in Gigalith while Mimikyu uses Trick Room. 4 turns later, he claims the first victory.

For the second game, Hau leads with Raichu and Gyarados. Having skipped out on the Explosion in the first match, Hau would probably expect him to use it this time, so Gladion pulls Silvally back for Gigalith again. Apprehension creeps over him when Hau punches the air upon seeing Silvally retreat, and crashes down when Hau's Gyarados sends a Hydro Vortex straight at Gigalith in the same turn. For the rest of the battle, Hau continues with his offensive, almost reckless play, and Gladion loses, bringing them into a third game.

Despite having played Hau so many times before, Gladion enjoys battling him. VGC battles have patterns that are often repeated, but at the same time, they are still unpredictable to varying degrees. It is one of the reasons why he loves competitive battling so much. There is no greater joy than appreciating a well-played battle, even if he is on the losing side.

Catching Hau's eye over the top of Mimikyu's head, Gladion mouths a 'Good fight' at him, and Hau beams in return, waving briefly back.

Once again, Hau leads with Raichu and Gyarados to Gladion's Silvally and Mimikyu. But this time, Gladion explodes Silvally on the second turn, cutting Gyarados' HP down. Hesitating over his next move, he decides to bet on the possibility that Hau would throw a Hydro Vortex at Gigalith, and switches Celesteela in to take the hit.

It works, and Gladion breathes a sigh of relief as the hologram of his Celesteela barely flinches. Gyarados faints to Sandstorm particles, leaving Porygon2, the last big threat on Hau's team. Gladion quickly takes it down, doubling into it with Twinkle Tackle and Flash Cannon.

The battle is over.

* * *

It's Gladion's first time winning a Midseason Showdown. Somehow, the thought of it did not really come to mind until now. It was just him versus Hau, as usual.

Except it was the finals, and he won.

Incredulity fades as he removes his headphones, and the noise of the spectators flood his ears. He walks over to Hau's side of the battlefield.

"You fought well," he says. Hau sighs deeply, then smiles. Ignoring Gladion's outstretched hand, he throws his arms around him.

"You too, cuz! GG!"

"What a wonderful display of sportsmanship from this young man!" One of the commentators exclaims, his voice booming strongly from the speakers nearby. "Despite his loss, his first thought is to embrace his friend and rival in congratulations! Everyone, a round of applause to young Hau Melelama for his generous attitude!"

Gladion rolls his eyes. "What a drama king. This guy always gets on my nerves when he commentates."

"What, you don't think I'm generous?" Hau chuckles, handing him the matchslip to sign.

"That's not what I mean and you know it," Gladion grumbles. "There's still an entire season ahead of us."

It's nice to collect a prize plush (a gigantic Alolan Vulpix this time) and have the First Place title registered in his name, but he knows that Worlds is still far away. There are many more battles to fight. One 50-CP victory isn't the end goal, after all.

"That's true," Hau shrugs, then grins. "You'll probably have to talk to him for your interview."

"Hell no. I'm out of here."

"C'mon. There are people waiting to watch you, yeah?"

"Like I care." Gladion plucks his 3DS out of the battle dock. "I'm gonna go turn in the match slip and grab a drink."

To his surprise, Hau grabs his arm. "Trust me," the younger boy says solemnly, his eyes twinkling. "You'll want to stay this time."

"What in the-"

"Congratulations on your victory, Gladion! Can we have a word with you?"

Gladion glares at Hau. "I'll get you for this."

"You'll thank me later," Hau sings, taking the match slip from him.

Gladion learnt early on that it is never wise to be rude to interviewers, especially when the cameras are all trained on them. To his relief, Khang, the annoying commentator, is partnered with Makala, who isn't too bad. They lead him to the commentators' table, offering him a tall stool between them. It is an awkward seat, placing him slightly higher than his interviewers. Gladion hunches slightly, crossing his arms, then uncrossing them three seconds later and putting his palms on his lap.

The stupid camera is still rolling.

Blast Hau.

"That was a fantastic battle!" Makala says. "Congratulations on your victory!"

"Thanks."

"I understand that you and Hau are friends. How was it like facing him in the finals?" Khang asks. "Was it complicated? Like, did you feel torn between wanting to win and wanting to let your friend win?"

What a pain.

"We're friends, but we're also rivals," Gladion replies. "He fought his best, I fought my best. Neither of us have any regrets."

"And that's how it should be!" Makala says, smiling at him. "You're using a very unusual team combination. From what we hear, your Silvally and Mimikyu really swept the fields. How did you come up with that idea?"

"Silvally's movepool is pretty varied, so I figured people wouldn't really be able to anticipate what he's going to be running," Gladion answers. "The idea of using Explosion in combination with Mimikyu came naturally, since I was trying Mimikyu in teams before."

"That makes sense. Is there a reason why you decided to build a team around Silvally, though?" Makala asks.

"It was... a friend. Someone I respect. She told me to give him a chance, since he's a favourite of mine in Gen 7." Although he thought he might as well try when Moon suggested using Silvally, he hadn't really imagined that he would win the MSS. "It's really thanks to her that I managed to get here with this team."

"Is she your gi-"

"Thank you very much!" Makala exclaims loudly. "A round of applause to our MSS Champion, Gladion Aether! We wish you all the best in your journey to Worlds!"

"Thank you." Gladion nods and jumps off. He heads towards to the Judges' table to find Hau.

But before he gets there, he is bombarded with handshakes and congratulations by other players. Acerola takes a selfie with him, Kiawe smacks him so hard his back goes numb for a while, and he nods at a few faces he barely recognises from swiss rounds.

Finally, he gets a chance to breathe, and he collapses next to Hau at the now empty Judge's table.

"Dude, it's only been twenty minutes and about nine people, you look like you had to go through a mob," Hau teases.

"Not everyone's a social butterfly like you, Mr Extrovert," Gladion mutters, taking out his phone.

Several notifications. Messages from Lillie, of course, some from random people following him, and...

_'**Moon:**_  
_Aw you didn't even use Silvally much there _  
_Oh blaaast that Hydro Vortex was well called by Hau_  
_ None of your other mons can make use of the TR_  
_ Unless you brought Celesteela...?_  
_ You DID 8D_  
_ This commentator is kinda... irritating_  
_ Hau really took all the risks this game haha_  
_ EXPLOSION_  
_ Oh wow *_* _  
_If it weren't for that Protect Raichu would have gone down_  
_ Nice read on the Gyarados :-)_  
_ That's game set match I think_  
_ Oh man that's why you always lead with Silvally and Mimi :-)_  
_ Great battles! Congratulations! \o/_  
_ Is it just me or is this guy deliberately trying to make variety show drama out of you and Hau haha :-)_  
_ Awwwww_  
_I'm honoured to see that you think so highly of me <3_  
_ Am glad to see Silvally get some CP too :-)' _

She had watched his entire stream. And his interview. 

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Considering how ive yet to win against you_  
_ Id be a fool not to respect you'_

She replies at once.

_'**Moon:**  
Please, let me bathe a little longer in the light of 'Person who gave inspiration for an MSS-winning team' _

_'**Gladion:**_  
_ Youre ridiculous' _

_'_**_Moon:_**  
_Too bad _  
_You're stuck in this friendship with me now :-)'_

* * *

_'**Gladion:** _  
_Nice read on that pory_  
_ Congrats' _

_'**Moon: **_  
_ Thaaaaaaanks!_  
_ I think Decidueye really isn't working out though :-('_

_'**Gladion:**  
You knew he wasn't going to be the best choice from the start' _

_'**Moon:** _  
_Yes but I HAD HOPE_  
_ I love my owl child TT_TT_  
_ But perhaps it's time to look at my backup team  
For the Elms League'_

_'**Gladion:**  
Who' _

_'**Moon:**  
Wouldn't you like to know ;-D' _

_'**Gladion:**  
I would' _

_'**Moon:**  
Tell me about your new team and I'll tell you about mine' _

_'**Gladion:**  
What makes you think I have a new team' _

_'**Moon:** _  
_Please, everyone knows how you used Silvally after that MSS_  
_ You won't be able to do that again :-)'_

_'**Gladion:**  
Yeah' _

* * *

_'**Moon:**_  
_Aw darn_  
_You should have won that one, hax is awful :-( _  
_Wooooo good lead!_  
_ What is he doing why did he press Tailwind there_  
_ Neaaaaat_  
_ Congratulations! :-) :-)'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_ Its 5 am_  
_ Why are you still up'_

_'**Moon:** _  
_I'm studying!_  
_ I have a test tomorrow and I can't afford to flunk ><_  
_ I need to maintain my A!'_

_'**Gladion:** _  
_First of all_  
_ Youre a straight a student youre flunking nothing_  
_ Second of all_  
_ Lack of sleep is more likely to do you in'_

_'**Moon:**  
It's very important to keep an eye on the metagame and scout players okay' _

_'**Gladion:**  
Go to sleep' _

_'**Moon:** _  
_I'm going I'm going!_  
_ Good night! :-D'_

* * *

_'**Moon:** _  
_Help_  
_ My training buddy is trying to convince me to use an AFK team :-(_  
_ Stop meeeee'_

_'**Gladion:**  
Why' _

_'**Moon:**  
Because he says I'm good with it ;w;' _

_'__**Gladion:** _  
_No i mean_  
_ Why dont you want to'_

_'**Moon:** _  
_ Everyone uses AFK!_  
_ It's really popular!'_

_'**Gladion: **_  
_Youre the one who said use whatever team you like_  
_ If you like afk then why not'_

_'**Moon:** _  
_ The more common it is, the more people would be anticipating it_  
_ And developing counter strats against it :-('_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Fair_  
_ Then you just have to get better at dealing with them'_

_'**Moon:**  
I guess' _

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Someone once told me_  
_ Give them a try_  
_ Youll never know what you can do with them'_

_'**Moon:** _  
_WWWWWWWWWWWWWW_  
_ Okay okay_  
_ You have me convinced :')'_

_'**Gladion:** _  
_ Good_  
_ Now I know what to expect from you when we face each other in rising online'_

_'**Moon:**  
HAHAHAHAHAHA' _

* * *

But they don't get matched together in the Rising Online Challenge. Or the Star Cup. Or in the Summer Online. Or the World Cup.

Months passed, and Gladion has not fought Moon at all. Oddly enough, the fates that had conspired to put them together in past years didn't seem to be active this season. He has seen a few streams of her matches, and she has seen some of his. They aren't blind to each other's play styles, especially not after various team building discussions.

Yet they have not fought.

"Why is that a problem?" Hau asks.

They're seated in the dining room at Aether Mansion, finishing up dinner. Hau has his laptop, 3DS and battle dock next to him, waiting to play a match with someone from Sinnoh.

"I didn't say it was a problem." Gladion drops half a slice of ham into Silva's waiting mouth. "I'm just... Surprised, I guess. Wasn't what I was expecting."

Lillie's cat, Snowball, paws at him from the other side. He holds out a piece of boiled chicken to her, pushing Silva out of the way with his legs.

"Soooo... Why don't you just ask her to battle?" Hau says.

"It's not the same. Buddy, that's enough, you're going to burst."

Hau rolls his eyes. "I wonder if you know how silly that sounds."

"Shut up. Snowy, no. Go to Lillie."

A loud beep sounds from Hau's battle dock, and he flips his DS screen open.

"Whoop! Wish me good luck!"

"Good luck."

Though both Gladion and Hau have already earned enough CP to qualify for Day 1 of Worlds, they continue playing to practice their skills, and keep an eye on the ever changing metagame. Even one month can make a difference in the trends, and there are still two months to Worlds.

He doesn't know why he feels glum at not having played Moon at all this year. Perhaps because it had become a sort of tradition for them to face each other. Or maybe he had unconsciously gotten used to the idea of her as his rival. Someone to measure himself against, to see how far he has come. Someone who inspires him, challenges him.

Someone he really wants to win against, not for the sake of winning, but for that sense of a well-earned victory against a worthy opponent.

As Hau clears his first game, he hears the ding of a Facepage notification from his laptop. 

_(Photo of Moon hugging a huge Rowlet plush, one hand in a victory sign) _

_'**Moon:** _  
_GUESS WHO'S GONNA KICK YOUR ASS AT WORLDSS!_  
_ WITH TRAVEL AWAAARDS!' _

Gladion lets out a surprised laugh. She must have qualified earlier, but kept it secret until she could confirm her attendance with a paid invite.

"What? What're you laughing at? Actually no don't tell me I gotta focus right now aaaaaaarghghghh..." 

_'**Gladion:**  
Congrats' _

_'**Moon:**_  
_Thaaanks <3_  
_ I can't wait to go to Alola :-)_  
_I want to visit Mt Hokulani _  
_And Heahea Beach'_

_'**Gladion:**  
Are you coming for a holiday or for worlds' _

_'**Moon:**  
And meet Silva and Zo' _

_(Animated gif of two men, with the subtitles: BOTH. BOTH IS GOOD) _

_'**Moon:** _  
_I'm just really excited okay!_  
_ It's my first Worlds trip! \o/_  
_ And I'm looking forward to meeting my eternal rival :-)'_

_'**Gladion:** _  
_Same_  
_ I mean_  
_ First worlds for me too'_

_'**Moon:** _  
_What, you're not looking forward to seeing me? TT_TT_  
_ You're breaking my heaaaaaaaart'_

_'**Gladion:**  
Thats not what i mean' _

_'**Moon:**_  
_I am aghast /o\_  
_ My rival does not yearn to fight against me at Worlds!'_

_'**Gladion:**  
Theres nothing more id like than to face you at worlds' _

There was a pause. Moon has _Seen_ his words, but did not reply until 3 minutes later.

_'**Moon:**_  
_:-) :-) :-)_  
_ I'll see you in two months~'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D 
> 
> Hau's team in this chapter is inspired by William Tansley's 2016 European Internationals team. I choreographed all three games for Hau and Gladion =>


	6. Turn 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

_'**Moon:**_  
_On the plane at last!_  
_Gonna be taking off soon <3_  
_Am pretty excited! :-)_  
_What should I watch hmm'_

_'**Gladion: **_  
_Youre gonna get jet lag_  
_You should probably sleep'_

_'**Moon:**_  
_Nooooooooooooooo _  
_This is my first aeroplane experience_  
_I have to enjoy it fully!'_

_(Photo of a small screen listing available movies)_

_'**Moon:**_  
_Cars 3 or Surfs Up 2? _  
_Or Jumanji?_

'**_Gladion: _**  
_Emoji movie_  
_Since you use so many'_

_'**Moon:** _  
_( _≧_Д_≦_) _。゜_(_｀_Д´)_゜。 (╬ಠ益ಠ) ( ｰ̀εｰ́ )_ (_눈___눈_) (_ಠ ∩ಠ_) (_╯_Д°_）╯︵_/(._□_ . )'_

Gladion bursts out laughing. Kantonians are unbeatable when it comes to emoticon creativity.

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Haha_  
_Watch jumanji_  
_Its not bad'_

A soft knock at his door sounds, and he looks up.

"What is it?"

The door opens, and Lillie pokes her head in. Seeing her brother seated up in his bed, she smiles.

"So you really are awake. I thought I might be hearing things when I heard _laughter _from your room," she says. "Isn't it a little early? You won't be leaving until the afternoon, right?"

"Yes, well… I just woke up. Internal clock, and all." Gladion pulls the covers off his legs and tucks them more closely around Silva and Zo, snoozing beside him. He gets out of bed and stretches. "Are you off to school now?"

"Yes, Hobbes is just getting the car out. He's left you breakfast in the kitchen." For a second, Lillie hesitates, then enters the room. Dropping her school bag, she embraces her brother tightly.

"Hey, it's okay. I'll be back soon," Gladion murmurs gently, stroking his sister's hair.

"I know. But the house will feel so empty without you…" she whispers.

"Silva and Zo will keep you company. And Snowy."

"I know," Lillie sighs. "I'm really glad you're going to Worlds at last. Father would have been so proud of you."

"…Yeah."

Warm sunlight is sneaking in through the window, and the sky is brightening steadily. The chirps of bird cries are sounding in their garden. It is going to be a beautiful day.

Then they hear the _pap-pap_ of the car horn from below. Lillie releases her hold and smiles.

"All the best! Enjoy yourself, win all the matches, and come back safely!"

"Take care of yourself. Don't let the dogs walk all over you."

"You always let them, though," Lillie giggles, picking up her bag. "Goodbye!"

"See you."

He looks down at the phone in his hand.

'**_Moon:_**  
_Hmmph okay _  
_Aaaaah we're taking off! *_*_  
_Talk to you yesterday ;-D'_

_'**Gladion: **_  
_Later'_

* * *

Konikoni City Convention Centre has five exhibition halls and many smaller meeting rooms. Worlds is scheduled to be held in Lanakila Hall on the third floor. Kulani Hotel, situated right next to it, is fully booked over the weekend by competitors, spectators, organizers and sponsors.

Hobbes insists on driving Gladion (and Hau) over, dropping them at the hotel lobby with a bag of homemade malasadas and a promise to look after Lillie. Kiawe and Ilima are already waiting there, and they check into the suite booked for them.

"Damn, but this place is huge," Kiawe says in awed tones, looking around the spacious, clean, airy rooms. "Rich people connections are great!"

"Don't get used to it. I only booked this one because the cheaper rooms sold out," Gladion warns. Space is all well and good, but the white and gold fancy decor feels rather... pretentious. Still, the others don't seem to mind.

"Can we get room service?" Hau asks eagerly. "I've always wanted to order room service."

"How are you still hungry after all those malasadas?" Gladion says.

"I'm not. But that's not the point! I'm at a hotel and I want the whole experience of being at a hotel, yeah?"

"Actually, I think the registration is opening soon, so we should have a short rest and head over," Ilima, the voice of reason, suggests.

Soon, they're shooting down the elevator to the second floor, where there is a connected walkway to the convention centre. Already, they can see trickles of people unashamedly wearing Pokemon T-shirts and caps, holding various Pokemon merchandise from bags to badges to keychains. Some are holding their 3DS, chatting merrily about their teams or battling each other. Others are seated against walls or pillars, playmats and trading cards laid out before them.

The noise and bustle increases as they step up the escalators to the third floor. It feels like Internats, but on a much larger scale. The sounds of different languages can be heard from all directions. An entrance arch with the words "Pokemon World Championships 2017" stands above the long walkway.

The doors to the exhibition hall are still shut. A row of tables for registration is set out right in front, with boxes of goodie bags lined up behind. The queues are already building, snaking around rope barriers. As Gladion, Hau, Ilima and Kiawe hurry towards the VGC tables, the staff members point them each to a different entrance, and they separate, agreeing to meet for dinner afterwards.

Gladion waits patiently behind a family with two youngsters, each child holding a 3DS and talking loudly about their teams. Wondering if Moon has arrived yet, he checks his phone.

_(Gif of anime muscled superhero with blond feelers, subtitles saying: I AM HERE)_

_'**Moon:**_  
_And I am an idiot who forgot to collect my portable wifi from the airport ><_  
_So I'll only have connection at the hotel RIP ;_; _  
_Going to head over to registration with the rest of my people_  
_Maybe I'll see you there? :-)'_

He snorts in amusement. It's amazing how someone so intelligent (straight As in school, plus she's good at VGC) can occasionally be so scatterbrained. Knowing she won't be able to read his messages until later, he doesn't bother replying yet.

Despite the length of the queue, it moves surprisingly fast, and soon Gladion is at the head, face to face with a familiar staff member.

"Hey, Nanu. Didn't know you were gonna be working here," he greets, handing over his identity card.

The grey haired man before him grunts. "Believe me, I didn't know I was gonna be working until the boss lady told me. It's a pain in the a-"

"Hey! Mind your language! There are kids around!" the woman behind him scolds. Nanu rolls his eyes, holding his hand out for Gladion's DS and team sheet. Smirking, he hands them over.

Nanu works for Olivia, the owner of the Rocky Game Mart. Years ago, he had helped both Gladion and Hau with their team building when they first started playing competitively, suggesting strategies for them. Although he no longer plays in tournaments himself, he still stays up to date on the metagame and strategies used.

"Hard Trick Room, eh?" he says thoughtfully. "You got a really all-or-nothing team here."

"The key is figuring out how to make it always 'all'," Gladion replies. Nanu grins.

"Right. All the best, kid. Say hi to Hau from me."

"Will do."

Gladion retrieves his DS and drops it into the canvas goodie bag. Weaving through the crowd, he stops in front of a pillar to look around, wondering where the others are. Taking out his phone, he starts typing a message to Hau when he suddenly feels a sharp tug on the sling bag over his shoulder.

Annoyed, he turns and looks down, expecting to see some misbehaving kid. Instead, a pair of hands are detangling the leg of his Silvally keychain from her knitted cloth bag.

"Damn, sorry, hope it's not damaged," he says, just as she loosens the last claw.

"It's okay, I got this!" She looks upwards at him with a smile, then freezes.

Short black hair, slightly curled. Blue-grey eyes, the colour of the sea on a cloudy day. A scattering of freckles across rounded cheeks.

"...G-Gladion?"

"...Moon?"

He knew they were going to meet at Worlds. In fact, if he were honest, he's been looking forward to it. But he didn't think he would bump into her like this, and he finds himself at a loss for words as he stares at her.

Moon is wearing a loose yellow shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans. She's short, almost a whole head shorter than him. Her face looks about as startled as his, but slowly eases into a tentative smile.

"Hey there," she says.

She's _here_. In Alola. In front of him.

"Hi."

And he's the world's greatest conversationalist.

"Um. Did you... get my message?" Her Galarian is slightly accented, like most Kantonians he has heard, but he has no difficulty understanding her words. Her voice is low in pitch, but sweet, almost lilting.

"Yeah. Your..."

"Moon! Ita!"

A tall young man with a red cap bursts out of the crowd nearby, throwing one arm around her shoulders and rustling her head with the other. A stab of annoyance washes over the warmth in Gladion's heart as he watches her stagger sideways, laughing at her friend, smoothing her hair down.

Just as abruptly, five or six other Kantonians surround them, and then the entire group is moving on, carrying Moon away with them.

"Matte-" Moon throws a harried look backwards at Gladion, and he would have laughed if he didn't feel so stunned by the swiftness of everything. Seconds later, the space around him is empty.

"Dude, there you are! Are you not checking your phone?" Kiawe appears beside him, exasperated.

"No harm done," Ilima says easily. "Let's go find the others."

Hau eyes him curiously. "He looks like he's seen a ghost. What's up?"

Gladion shakes his head.

"It's nothing."

* * *

Dinner is a relatively quiet affair, as everyone is feeling a little tense about the tournament. They eat at the cheapest restaurant in the hotel (Unovan cuisine), then return to their rooms for an early night.

Gladion showers quickly (the perk of being the one paying for most of the room is that you get to call dibs on the bathroom), and when he returns to the table where his phone is charging, he finds several notifications.

_(Image of Lillie, Snowball, Zo and Silva)_

_'**Lillie:**_  
_We miss you!_  
_Good luck for tomorrow!'_

He smiles as he types a quick 'good night' to his sister, then swipes to read the next message.

_'**Moon:**_  
_Heyyyyyyy _  
_Sorry about that just now ;w;_  
_My friends were really hungry _  
_Plus they'd been waiting for me for a while_  
_We got to try the 'AUTHETIC ALOLAN CUISINE' at this place called Mao Dining'_

_(Image of a table laden with food)_

_'**Moon:**_  
_But I was really disappointed there was no malasada on the menu :-(_  
_After it featured so much in SuMo I really wanted to try some!'_

_'**Gladion: **_  
_Malasadas are more like snacks_  
_Of course youre not gonna find them in a restaurant'_

_'**Moon:**_  
_I can hear you thinking 'what a tourist'_  
_Joke's on you, sir, I AM a tourist!_  
_And my goal is to eat a malasada here before I go home o9'_

_'**Gladion: **_  
_What about worlds'_

_'**Moon:** _  
_Who says I can't have more than one goal? :-)'_

Gladion chuckles. Somehow, seeing the messages from Moon calms him. The odd, slightly awkward feelings that he can't explain have swum around the corners of his mind all evening, but they seem to melt away as he chats with her. It is a familiar exchange, a comfortable one.

_'**Moon:**_  
_Don't forget, one of them is to beat you, too ;-D_  
_So make sure you get to day 2! ^^'_

_'**Gladion: **_  
_Of course_  
_But dont start counting your shinies before they hatch_  
_Im winning this time'_

_'**Moon:**_  
_:-)_  
_Then_  
_I'll see you tomorrow?'_

_'**Gladion:**_  
_Yeah_  
_See you'_

Tomorrow, he will play at Worlds, the biggest VGC tournament, facing off against the best Pokemon players in the world.

And maybe he'll get to meet Moon. Rival, annoying messenger spammer, fellow fur baby owner.

_Friend._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D 
> 
> VGC Glossary
> 
> Internationals/Internats: Large scale tournament with massive CP payouts.
> 
> Hard Trick Room: A team that relies heavily on Trick Room. Usually full of slow sweepers like Snorlax, Hariyama, Araquanid and Gigalith.


	7. Turn 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

The day begins for Gladion and his roommates at 7.30 in the main restaurant of the hotel. While there are food booths selling snacks in the convention, there is no time allocated for lunch during tournaments. Years of experience taught the boys to start the day with a good breakfast, so they spend forty minutes binging on the complimentary breakfast buffet offered to all guests.

They head to the convention centre through the second floor walkway again, more crowded and bustling than ever before. Up the escalators, under the archway, and through the wide open doors.

And then they're inside the exhibition hall, and the place is filled with Pokemon. Posters and standees of different Pokemon (particularly those from the Alolan region) are visible everywhere. A five foot tall Pikachu balloon floats above a Pokeball, marking the Pokemon Center booth, which sells merchandise imported straight from Kanto.

Brightly coloured food booths, activity booths, and minigame booths are set up along one wall next to the side event corner. Already, they are crowded with families and younger children.

As they walk past, the smell of cotton candy and deep fried chips fill the air. Rows of tables, each covered with a deep blue tablecloth, are arranged neatly at the furthest end of the room, right in front of the brightly lit stage.

The stage itself is wide, set with three tables. The 'Alolan-style' decor consists of several plastic palm trees, sand and sea decals, and crepe paper waves lining the tables. Three gigantic screens are suspended above the stage. Speakers are blasting tracks from the recently released Pokemon Rock Remix album.

By this time, the crowds have gathered in front of the stage. The opening ceremony begins promptly at 9. Advertisements for the newest TCG special (Pikachu&Zekrom tag team), a new trailer for Pokken DX, and an announcement for an upcoming live action Pokemon movie.

Somehow, it feels more exciting to be watching them at Worlds, rather than on a screen at home. Gladion claps along with everyone else as the director of Gamefriends bows and walks offstage.

"The battles will be streamed all weekend on our main site, and on Qwitch," the emcee says. "And now... Pokemon trainers, it's time to battle!"

Worlds has begun.

* * *

Gladion clears his first round easily, 2-0-0. Shaking hands with his opponent, he heads off to turn in the match slip. Half an hour later, he checks the next pairing bracket. Table 25, with a Kantonian named Red.

Making his way through the tables and chairs, his eyes flickering from one number stand to another, he stops short when he sees a familiar red cap at Table 25.

Red grins at him. "Gladion, right? Sorry about yesterday. I didn't realise you were talking to Moon."

Damn coincidence. Annoyance pricks at Gladion as he gazes at the overly friendly smile of his opponent.

"It's fine," he replies shortly, dropping into his seat and placing his 3DS on the table. "Let's get this started."

Looking slightly amused, Red nods. The systems connect, they shake hands (or rather, Red shakes Gladion's very stiff hand), and the battle begins.

25 minutes later, it ends. Gladion stares in disbelief at his screen. Red had completely bulldozed him, reading his moves easily, never giving him the slightest chance to set up Trick Room. Despite Gladion having pulled off Belly Drum in the second game, his opponent was great at positioning, and took out his Snorlax with Foul Play.

Red Kaji is terrifyingly good.

"Good game," he says at last, holding out his hand. Red shakes it, smiling, his grip firm.

"You fought great, too. As expected, actually. Moon always speaks really well of you." As he signs the match slip and passes it over to Gladion, he continues chattering on. "She often says you're her biggest rival, you know. Yellow really wanted to come meet you too, but she has school."

"Who's Yellow?" Not that he really cares, but Gladion finds himself wondering how many other people from Kanto are named after colours.

"My girlfriend," Red says, his smile turning slightly embarrassed and proud at the same time. "And Moon's cousin."

"Your... What?" Gladion pauses mid-scribble. "I thought... You and Moon were..."

"God, no!" Red bursts out laughing. "Why would you think that?"

Gladion scowls, bending over the match slip. "I don't know, you two just... seemed really close."

"Nah. Moon's like a little sister to me. We grew up together, you see."

"...Right. Okay." So Moon isn't dating Red. It's not like it matters, but for some reason, he feels...

"You look relieved," Red comments.

"Wha- Why should I be relieved about her being single?!"

Red shrugs, a mischievous look on his face. "I don't know, maybe the fact that you even mentioned her being single...?"

He trails off. Gladion bristles at the insinuation and stands abruptly.

"I'm done here."

"All the best for your next match!" Red waves cheerily, lounging back and balancing precariously on the rear chair legs.

He stomps off.

* * *

Gladion breathes in relief when he wins his eighth round. 7-1 clears him for Day 2, so he's done for now. Shaking hands with his opponent, he picks up his match slip and heads to the Judge's booth.

The competition at Worlds is fierce. His team is not the most unique one; many other players ran Trick Room as well. It takes all his concentration and willpower to keep thinking and outthinking his opponents for nearly eight hours.

Now that he finally has time and space to think and breathe, Gladion sits down in an empty chair at the spectator area and checks his phone.

_'_ _ **Hau: ** _   
_6-2 rn_   
_need one more_   
_lets go eat after'_

_'_ _ **Kiawe:** _   
_ok'_

_'_ _ **Ilima:** _   
_We're hanging around the stage_   
_Gladion did you clear?'_

_'_ _ **Gladion: ** _   
_Yeah'_

_'_ _ **Kiawe:** _   
_can come find us?_   
_left side of stage'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _   
_Ok'_

Pulling his bag over his shoulder, Gladion rises to his feet. But the moment he turns to go, a tall, dark haired, heavily muscled man strides swiftly over to him and grabs his arm.

"Wha-?"

"You, Gladion?"

"Who the hell are you?" he demands, trying to twist free. But the man simply smiles, his already small eyes crinkling, and drags him away. Ignoring all of Gladion's questions, he pulls him steadily through the lines of chairs until they reach the northeast corner of the seats.

He should really call for security, but a part of him is whispering that having to be rescued in front of several hundreds of people from some muscled mob guy would be completely humiliating.

Before Gladion can decide whether or not to attempt a shoulder throw, the man dumps him into a chair next to a very familiar girl with short black hair.

"Gladion?!" Moon exclaims in shock. "What're you... Bruno?!"

The man grins and says something in Kantonian, then bows to them and walks away.

"... Are you secretly a mob boss or something?" Gladion asks warily, staring after Bruno. Moon sighs.

"I'm sorry, Bruno's... It's my fault," she says sheepishly. "I told him I was having difficulty finding you here, since I have no internet access... so he offered to find you for me. I'm really sorry. I didn't think he'd actually do it."

Gladion lets out a short huff of laughter. "First time I've been kidnapped, and it's due to nothing more than a lack of wifi."

"If it makes you feel better, it's the first time I ever started a kidnapping too," Moon offers.

"Has anyone ever told you you're ridiculous?"

"You always do," Moon beams at him. Gladion rolls his eyes, but is unable to stop the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

They watch the final round together on the stream, necks craned back slightly to see the screen, taking turns to comment on and predict the match. Gladion had anticipated some awkwardness between them originally; meeting someone in real life is different from talking to them online, after all. But after that first exchange of laughter, he finds that he's completely at ease talking to his friend of many months.

"If he Flare Blitzes that Snorlax is going to go d- there we go," Moon says.

"Game, set, match. The Celesteela can't hold up against Arcanine with red HP."

"Smith read him really well," Moon agrees. She smiles a little wistfully. "There are so many strong trainers here! I almost wish I could have played today."

Gladion snorts. "Nine rounds today and seven rounds plus maybe top cut tomorrow? You'd have to be insane to wish for that."

"Okay fine, I appreciate being able to eat," Moon says, grinning. "All the same... I'm looking forward to playing tomorrow. Do you think we'll get to face each other?"

A year ago, Gladion would have said yes, because fate seemed to have a one-track mind when it came to them. Considering their record this year, however... He shrugs. "I'm hoping that RNGesus has been holding off just so he can have us fight at Worlds," he says.

"Like a dramatic climax?" Moon chuckles. "Can't wait to battle you again."

"Same. But you won't win this time."

"We'll see," Moon winks. "Loser has to buy the winner a yoghurt malasada."

"That's a game thing. Nobody puts yoghurt in malasada in real life."

"Noooooooooo! You're kidding?!"

"Nope."

As Moon slumps in disappointment, a hand taps her on the shoulder, and they turn to see Red standing behind them.

"Hey again, Gladion. Moon, Janine just finished. Dinner?"

"Okay." She picks up her bag, then smiles at Gladion.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

He watches her disappear into the crowds with the Kantonians before heading off to find Hau and the others.

* * *

"The Kantonians are strong as usual."

"I saw a lot of AFK teams still. Barely any Mimilax though."

"Oh there's definitely Mimilax. Kiawe lost to two."

"Oy!"

It is nearly 11pm, but everyone is still awake, lounging around the sitting area of the suite. Lana and Mina had followed them back as well, merrily discussing the competition and whether or not they should change teams. Kiawe, Ilima and Mina had failed to pass to Day 2, so all their efforts are going into helping their friends do better.

"Watch out for this guy from Johto called Eusine something, he's tricky," Hau says.

"Didn't he get Top 4 a few years ago?" Lana recalls. "He played a good Suicune team."

"He's playing Koko/Arcanine/Celesteela/Garchomp/Fini/A-Muk this time..."

Gladion listens idly, perched on one of the single plush armchairs. His phone buzzes with a new notification.

_'_ _ **Moon: ** _   
_Look at this!'_

_(Photo of Moon smiling, holding a corgi in a Rowlet jacket)_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _   
_Saw him from the restaurant window earlier so I ran out to get a selfie_   
_HE'S SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE *w*'_

Gladion feels his lips twist into a smile. Trust Moon. While everyone else is tense and excited about Day 2, her attention is focused on cute dogs.

_'_ _ **Gladion: ** _   
_Someone has their priorities in the right place'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _   
_You didn't bring Silva or Zo so_   
_This is the next best :-)_   
_And he was wearing owl child clothes <3 <3'_

He had thought she was joking about wanting to see his dogs. Neither the hotel nor the convention centre allows pets, so there was no way he could have brought them.

_'_ _ **Gladion: ** _   
_When is your flight back'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _   
_Monday night! :-)_   
_Why?'_

_'_ _ **Gladion:** _   
_You can come visit them on monday_   
_If you want'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _   
_REALLY? _   
_:-) :-) :-)_   
_I'd love to <3 <3_   
_Fluffy puppies are the best <3'_

_'_ _ **Gladion: ** _   
_Theyre no longer puppies'_

_'_ _ **Moon:** _   
_All dogs are puppies_   
_You can't change my mind'_

"Gladion!" Ilima reaches up from his seat on the ground, snapping his fingers sharply.

Gladion blinks and looks up from his phone. "What?"

"We've been calling you for the past thirty seconds," Ilima replies with a gentle smile. "What's on your mind?"

"Bet he's messaging Moon," Hau says slyly.

"You mean the SailorCresselia girl?" Kiawe asks with a grin.

"Oooh, come, spill!" Lana says eagerly, closing the lid of her DS. "I'm tired and totally ready for gossip on someone else's love life."

"It's not... We're not... She's just a friend!" Gladion protests hotly.

"That's what they always say," Lana says, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"At least he admits that now. The last time, he said they _weren't_ friends," Kiawe tells her.

"It's called character development," Ilima says knowingly.

Gladion glares at him. "Here I thought you were the only sane one."

"I'm just telling it like I see it," Ilima says, laughing. "You've befriended this girl, you're always messaging her, you came to meet her at Worlds, you're completely distracted when you talk to her..."

"I didn't come to Worlds just to meet her! I'm here for VGC!"

"He's not denying the rest," Mina observes.

Gladion takes a deep breath. When the whole room is against you, there's only one thing to do.

"I'm going to bed," he growls, climbing to his feet.

And then he proceeds to spend the next hour lying sleeplessly in the darkness, besieged by thoughts that he wouldn't otherwise have had.

Moon is his friend. She's smart, sometimes unpredictable, and very interesting. He likes hearing her thoughts and insights on VGC. She makes him laugh even as she annoys him, and he enjoys conversing with her, especially after he realised she can take all of his acerbic humour without offence. When he talks to Moon, he always feels that he can be _himself_.

"But that's because we're friends," he mumbles. It's not like he's particularly attracted to her in any other way. Feeling the buzz of his phone under the pillow, he pulls it out and unlocks it.

_'_ _ **Moon:** _   
_Okay _ _I'm gonna try to sleep _   
_Jetlag is horribleeeee (*´□`)_   
_Let's both do our best for tomorrow :-) :-)'_

She had changed her profile pic temporarily to the corgi photo. He stares at it for a moment, his thumb idly tracing the curve of her smile, remembering what it looked like in real life. Her eyes appeared dark in the pixelated photo, but he knows that they're actually brighter, and warmer, with a small twinkle when the light hits them from the right angle-

He catches his train of thoughts, suddenly aware of how his cheeks have grown surprisingly warm. Realization dawns on him, and, with a groan, he buries his head in the soft white pillow.

He's doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D 
> 
> VGC Glossary
> 
> Mimilax: The common combination of Mimikyu and Snorlax in a team


	8. Turn 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

The second day of Worlds is just as crowded and bustling as the first. Players who failed to make it to Day 2 gather instead for the Konikoni Open, where they can gain CP for the 2018 season. Side events and other activities continue to be held throughout the day.

Again, Gladion starts the day with a heavy breakfast. He plays steadily through the Swiss rounds, determined to keep his mind focused on the competition <strike>and not let it wander to disturbing places he doesn't want to think about just yet</strike>. The pool of opponents he finds himself facing are easily the best he has ever fought against, and many of his victories come from very close battles.

At the end of six rounds, he's at the score of 5-1, clearing him for top cut, and he breathes a sigh of relief. His seventh round finishes quickly (6-1), leaving him with at least twenty minutes of rest before the elimination battles start. Having spent half the day in that focused, battle mindset, he comes back down to earth with a jolt when he sees the number of notifications on his phone.

_'_ _ **Kiawe:** _   
_hows everyone doing?'_

_'_ _ **Hau:** _   
_2-2 :')'_

_'_ _ **Ilima:** _   
_Lana just got 1-3_   
_I'm accompanying her to eat her sorrows away'_

_'_ _ **Kiawe:** _   
_lol ok_   
_Gladion?'_

_'_ _ **Mina:** _   
_4-0 at the open =w='_

_'_ _ **Hau: ** _   
_hang in theer guys!'_

_..._

_'_ _ **Kiawe: ** _   
_anyone wants fries?'_

_'_ _ **Hau:** _   
_ME'_

_'_ _ **Mina:** _   
_Me'_

_'_ _ **Lana:** _   
_Me'_

_'_ _ **Ilima:** _   
_You just ate'_

_'_ _ **Lana:** _   
_Leave me alone_   
_I need more salt okay'_

_'_ _ **Ilima:** _   
_Plumeria Ascott just cleared 5-0_   
_We have at least one Alolan headed to top cut :)'_

_'_ _ **Hau:** _   
_4-2_   
_last chance ;_;'_

_'_ _ **Kiawe:** _   
_go go hau_   
_u can do it!'_

_'_ _ **Ilima:** _   
_Looking at the brackets_   
_Gladion just cleared 6-1'_

_'_ _ **Kiawe:** _   
_good job Gladion yeah!_   
_o hey u didn't face sailorcresselia at all'_

Gladion swipes the messages away, and opens up his browser to check the pairing brackets. Up until he read Kiawe's message, he hadn't thought about facing Moon at all. Now, the only possibility they had would be if Moon made it through to top cut.

_Moon Fukuro [KT]_   
_(7-0-0) 21 pts_

And of course she did. She really is a good player, and going undefeated in Swiss at Worlds is testament to her skill.

The chances of them fighting each other in elimination are still unknown at this point. To some extent, Gladion is already satisfied that he has come this far. Considering his own skill, and the fact that he had never before played in Worlds, a part of himself wasn't expecting more than one or two wins on Day 2.

It wasn't a lack of ambition; rather, he knew that his skill was not top cut level. But he had kept his mind on one battle at a time, determined to go as far as he could with the team he trained hard with. Giving his all to see where he stands on a stage with world class players.

And there's nobody else he wishes more to stand next to than Moon. His eternal rival, team building partner, friend.

_Someone that he's kind of attracted to._

Gladion shakes his head violently to rid himself of the thought.

"That doesn't mean anything," he mutters out loud. "It's just... She's just... I'm just... _It doesn't mean anything!_"

His vehement exclamation sends a few people near him scuttling away, eyeing him askance. Scowling, he stuffs his phone back into his pocket.

He needs to focus. His concern right now should be the tournament before him, the people and teams he'll face in top cut.

The clock counts down to the release of the pairing brackets, and he prays for the chance to battle against Moon.

* * *

An hour later, the sixteen players for top cut are gathered at the front row of the VGC Masters tables. Moon passes Gladion on her way to her table.

"All the best!" she says, flashing him a quick smile. It does something queer to his already tense nerves, and he says the first thing he can think of to hide it.

"You better not lose before I get to beat you."

Moon laughs and walks on.

But forty minutes later, Gladion sees her sign her match slip and faceplant into her Rowlet plushie, collapsing on the table in an obvious posture of disappointment. He walks over, and she looks up at him.

"1 win, 2 losses," Moon says, shrugging one shoulder. "How about you?"

"2 wins," Gladion says, half distractedly, watching Moon's black-haired opponent walk away. "He was good?"

"Mmhm. And he had some really good damage rolls. Plus I misread him twice," Moon admits.

"Oh." Gladion doesn't know what to say. Of all the possible outcomes, Moon losing before he does had not been one that came to mind. But now, seeing her stroke her fluffy Rowlet with downcast eyes, he feels an ache in his heart for her.

"You've done great, nonetheless. To be able to come this far is already an achievement," he says. Moon looks up at him.

"It's okay! I'm okay!" she says, laughing a little. "I actually never thought I'd even get to top cut. I mean, this is Worlds! I'm fighting with the strongest, best players around the world! Even this battle with Gold Monouchi was eye-opening. And I've really, really enjoyed the whole experience!"

He knows that she means every word she's saying. Yet at the same time, he sees the glint of unshed tears in her eyes. Reaching out, he squeezes her shoulder awkwardly. She covers his hand with her own, leaning her cheek against it for a moment.

"There's always next year. And the year after. And many more years to improve," he says quietly. "That's the amazing thing about Pokemon. You just never stop learning."

Moon chuckles softly. "You're right." She rises to her feet and smiles at him at last. "Congratulations on making it through! Keep winning!"

"Thanks." Gladion nods back, suddenly conscious that her hand was still holding his.

He doesn't pull away until it's time to check the brackets for Round 2.

* * *

Gladion's next opponent, Silver Giovas, runs a Palossand-Smeargle in combination with Tapu Koko, PorygonZ, Torkoal and Chansey. With Drought and Eruption, Torkoal is deadly under TR conditions, as is the Weakness Policy Palossand, especially with Smeargle running Water Shuriken.

Throughout the season, Gladion has faced other Trick Room teams. This one, however, is particularly difficult to handle, especially when Silver reveals that his Tapu Koko and Chansey are both running Psych Up. With the Palossand's Water Compaction available, his team becomes a solid wall.

Down to Snorlax versus Chansey in the second game, Gladion realises he simply doesn't have the firepower to KO Chansey before it heals. With slight regret born of the thought that perhaps he could have practiced more against such a matchup, he presses forfeit and extends his hand.

"Well played," he says. Silver shakes his hand.

"You too."

Nodding briefly, his redheaded opponent leaves with the match slip. Putting his notebook and 3DS back into his bag, Gladion stands and stretches. Suddenly, Moon is standing beside him.

"Well done," she says.

"Is that sarcasm?" Gladion says wryly. "I lost."

"Yes, but you've still won many more matches than you lost. I think that calls for a 'well done', don't you?" Moon says, winking.

Gladion laughs. Glancing at her, he recalls his own words earlier. There will be more tournaments in future, more chances to fight. For now, at least, he is satisfied with his placing in top 8.

"Come on," Moon says, nudging his arm lightly. "Let's go and watch the stream."

They sit together in the same corner they were at yesterday. With the stress of having to play behind them, both Gladion and Moon are relaxed, joking and salting as they commentate on the last two rounds of the day.

"Oh my god, he flinched _again!_" Moon exclaims.

"That's... what, the fifth time?" Gladion snorts in disbelief.

"Yes! But the other guy still has a chance... Trick Room just ended so Garchomp will be attacking first... There we go- WHAT!"

"A bloody critical hit?!"

"Hax. Total hax. This Joey guy wouldn't have won if it weren't for hax..."

"Honestly. He should have lost in that turn when Celesteela got paralyzed..."

* * *

An hour later, it is announced that the VGC Masters finals would be held between Red Kaji and Gold Monouchi.

"Yes! Kanto represeeeeeeeeeeent!" Moon cheers. "And to think they _almost_ didn't let him come with me!"

"They? His parents?" Gladion asks. Moon grins cheekily at him.

"Actuallyyyy... Red's here as my guardian, because I'm only sixteen. He's been busy with uni this year, so he couldn't really play enough to get a Day 2 invite. And he can't afford to pay his own way, either," Moon explains. "So when I got the travel award, I asked him to come with me."

"Isn't the additional allowance for a parental guardian?" Gladion says. "Unless he's way older than he looks, I doubt the staff at Gamefriends would believe that he's your father."

"Yes, well... I pointed out that the rules don't actually say it _has_ to be a parent... just 'an accompanying adult guardian'..." Moon curls her fingers to signify quotation marks. "So they gave in!"

Gladion shakes his head. "Trust you to find such a loophole."

"It wasn't easy to get them to agree," Moon admits, "especially since I asked for two separate rooms. But since we agreed to stay for only four nights, the total cost is still within budget."

"Sounds fair." Suddenly, some of her words from earlier register in his mind. "Wait. You're sixteen?" Gladion repeats. "But you were playing in Masters last year!"

"Oh, yeah. Janine and I moved up to play in Masters in our local tournaments, because we were the only Seniors left. Very small town, you know. After that it felt silly to go back to playing Seniors in online tournaments, so we just continued playing Masters all the way."

Gladion facepalms. Though really, considering Moon's skill and instinct, he shouldn't be surprised that she has been playing beyond her age group. "You're amazing."

Moon's eyes widen. "A straight compliment. Are you feeling okay?" she asks, putting one hand on his forehead. "Feverish?"

Gladion scowls, batting her hand away. "Shut up, I meant that."

"Oh." Moon blinks, then ducks her head, her cheeks flushing pink from the praise. "In that case, thank you," she says, smiling at him.

The hall feels like it just got several degrees hotter. Maybe he really is feverish.

"Glaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad! Let's go eat- Auwe!"

They turn to see Hau standing behind their row of chairs, a grin growing slowly on his face.

"Moon?"

"Hau!" Moon stands and holds up her hand. "We meet at last!"

Hau hi-fives her. "It's great to meet you too! Shame it's not happening, but I was really looking forward to see you destroy Glad again."

"Hey!"

"I'm sure I'll have more chances in future," Moon says, chuckling. "You did well today! I saw the last part of your stream earlier."

"Hehe, I was proud of that round! Your last stream battle was great too!" Hau replies.

"You both got streamed earlier?" Gladion asks. He isn't exactly surprised he didn't see them; after all, he hadn't paid much attention to the stage or screens.

"Mine was pretty early on, in round 4 of Swiss," Moon says.

Hau heaves a dramatic sigh. "You gotta forgive him. When he's focused on battles, he tunes out everything else, so he ends up totally clueless about what's going on around him."

"Hau..." Gladion growls.

"He's even forgotten to sleep a few times because he spent the entire night training!"

Moon laughs. "Truly a battle maniac, huh, Gladion?"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who stayed up to 5am watching streams," Gladion retorts.

"That's just because of-" Moon cuts off midsentence. Gladion raises one eyebrow at her. Pursing her lips, Moon folds her arms, then breathes out in a huff.

"Guess I can't argue with that," she mutters, a faint blush across her cheeks. Gladion smirks.

"So we're quits."

"That's not exactly something to be proud of, you know."

"Aaaanyway," Hau interrupts. "We're gonna eat at Flannery's. Moon, why don't you come with us? You've not tried Flannery's Grill and Barbecue yet, right?"

Gladion looks at him sharply. What on earth was Hau up to? "Don't be stupid," he chides. Not that he didn't want to eat with Moon; in fact, the thought of being able to spend more time with her is alarmingly welcome. But... "She has her other friends here. There's no way she'd-"

"Actually," Moon says, hiding her mouth behind clasped fingers. "If... you don't think I'll be too much of a bother...?"

* * *

Having splurged on food the previous two nights, Team Kanto had planned to buy instant noodles and alcohol for dinner. After a call to Red (on Hau's phone), Moon confirms that they were going to sit in the hotel for the rest of the night strategizing and preparing Red (code for digging up every piece of info they can find on Gold) for the finals tomorrow.

So she joins the Alolans for barbecue. Though initially surprised at her presence, Lana, Kiawe and Ilima (Mina had gone off with Acerola) welcome her warmly. To Gladion's relief, they were polite enough not to ask Moon awkward questions or throw him under a bus.

Except Lana.

"So _you're_ the SailorCresselia that our Mr Aether has been so obsessed with."

Moon chokes on her meat. Gladion wonders if he should stab Lana with the knife in his hand.

"To be fair, I think we'd all be interested if we had an opponent we can't win against," Ilima says peaceably. "He's lost to her constantly for the last four years."

Which is not exactly the most flattering follow up. Perhaps he should stab himself.

But Moon laughs it off, and the conversation shifts to less combustible subjects. The battles, players, teams at Worlds, the long queues at the Pokemon Center, that one moment when crazy cheers erupted from the TCG area halfway through the day. Red and Gold, their Pokemon teams, and their predictions on how the finals would go.

Given how late Day 2 runs, it is twenty minutes to midnight when they leave Flannery's and walk back to Kulani Hotel. Just before they reach the entrance, Lana grabs Gladion's arm.

"You should walk Moon back to her room," she says. "She's alone, and the corridors are reaaaaally long."

Gladion glares at her, knowing full well what she's up to. "You're not subtle at all."

Lana smirks, completely unrepentant. "What can I say? I find myself sympathizing with the poor girl."

"What? Why-"

"Because you're denser than a block of cement. The way she looked at you all dinner? Hotter than Desolate Land," Lana says, fanning herself with one hand.

"_What the hell_, _Lana!_"

"Anyway! It's late and the place is silent. And dim. She's a girl, and she's _alone_," Lana repeats, wagging her finger in his face. The corners of her mouth droop, and she gazes at him with wide-eyed concern. "Would you let Lillie to go walking alone at this time of night?"

The next thing he knows, he and Moon are walking down through the white-walled corridor on the third floor, while the others continue to their rooms above.

Gladion's been alone with Moon (it sort of counts when no one else in the convention hall is paying any attention to them) often enough by now, but thanks to Lana's (completely untrue) words, he finds himself unnaturally conscious of the dark haired girl beside him.

Sneaking glances sideways, he watches her, stepping on the carpeted floor, relaxed arms swinging slightly. The dim orange lights (not as dim as Lana made them out to be) cast a warm halo on her dark hair as she saunters casually along.

Obviously, there are no awkward, uncomfortable feelings on her side.

"I can't believe Worlds is almost over," Moon says, stretching her arms above her head, grunting slightly. "Just two more days left!"

"And then it's back to school," Gladion adds. "You're gonna have to slave for a while to catch up and maintain your straight-A position."

Lana's wrong. Moon doesn't-wouldn't feel that way.

"Don't remind me," Moon groans softly. Looking over at him, she chuckles softly. "At least I had a lot of fun here. Playing in Worlds, meeting you and Hau, and your other friends. And the barbecue tonight was great. No regrets coming!"

Even her slightly tired smile is radiant, and he feels himself smiling back. The hours they've spent together are some of the happiest he's ever felt.

They're friends. Friends and rivals.

That's all that he is to her.

"Same," he says. "Except maybe the fact that we never got to face each other, despite us both being here at Worlds."

"Awww, did you want to lose to me that badly?" Moon teases. Gladion raises his brows at her.

"I lasted one more round than you in top cut," he says. "I think that says something about our skill levels now."

"Well!" Moon comes to a stop, squaring her shoulders and tilting her chin upwards to look disdainfully down her nose at him. "Are you saying you did better than me at Worlds?"

Unfortunately, he is a whole head taller than her, so it does not work. Not bothering to conceal his amused smirk, Gladion steps closer to loom over her.

"Yes," he whispers.

For a long second, they stand together, so close they can hear each other hardly breathing. Green eyes staring unblinkingly into grey-blue.

"Okay, that's it!" Moon pulls back first, pulling her room keycard out of her bag and striding to the door a few feet ahead. Slapping it against the door sensor, she glares at him. "Standard doubles, tomorrow! I'm going to show you what competitive battling is _really_ about."

Gladion blinks. He was expecting a challenge to a private match, but... Of course. The standard doubles side event would be using the exact same ruleset as VGC.

They're going to get to fight at Worlds, after all. He grins at her.

"You're on," he says.

Moon points, then fires a finger gun at him.

"Good night, and have a good rest." Dipping her head slightly, she smiles sweetly at him. "You'll need it."

The door closes behind her, and Gladion turns to go back to his suite.

Time to look for that stream of hers in Swiss round 4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D 
> 
> Randomly, of COURSE Joey brought a top percentage Rattata to Worlds ;D
> 
> Silver's team in this chapter is inspired by Matthew Hui's 2017 Oceania Internationals team.


	9. Turn 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

When Gladion wakes, the curtains are drawn, and soft sunlight is streaming in through the windows. Kiawe is sitting on his bed across the room, chewing on a malasada as he types on his phone.

"Morning. We bought back breakfast malasadas," he greets. Gladion squints blearily at him.

"What time is it?" He rolls out of bed, rubbing sleep dust out of his eyes. It's been a while since he slept through his alarm. Obviously his body was demanding more rest after two long days of early awakenings and late nights. And last night had been particularly late; after returning to the suite, he'd spent a few hours practicing against Moon's team with an extremely patient Ilima.

"10.07. Mina says they just started TCG Junior finals," Kiawe replies. "Ilima's taking a shower and Hau is watching TV. We can head over once they're done."

"Right." Gladion flips open his small suitcase to grab fresh clothes. "Wonder what time the Standard Doubles side events start."

"There're usually several throughout the day, right?" Kiawe puts down his phone and reaches for the crumpled program booklet spilling out of his goodie bag. He flips it around a few times before he finds the schedule page, then whistles.

"Auwe, apparently they mainly have Singles and old gen Classics today. The only Standard Doubles left starts in an hour," he says.

Gladion whips around. "_What!?_"

"Yep, it's at 11am, and you gotta sign up before 10.45 or something, I think." Kiawe waves the booklet at him. "Better hurry!"

Gladion doesn't wait for a second invitation. Five minutes later, he's dressed and out of the door, running for the elevator and frantically calling Moon on Facepage messenger. Given that her last message to him was from the night before ('You're going dowwwwwwwn! >=D'), chances are that she's overslept, too.

She's not picking up.

He bursts out of the elevator the moment it opens, racing down the hallway to the door where he left her last night. He presses the doorbell several times, then hammers on the door.

"Moon! C'mon! Wake up!" he yells. Good thing there's nobody around, or they might think he's trying to break in.

He slams the doorbell button again and again, and finally, he hears a loud thud from within.

"Moon! Open the door!" he calls. It's 10.17, and they're running out of time.

The door clicks, and swings open. Moon is leaning against the edge of the door hole, wearing the Worlds T-shirt (she got a size way too large for her) from the competitor's goodie bag. Her hair is standing in the most interesting tufts, her eyes are half closed, and... is that drool on her cheek?

"Nnmh?" she mutters.

"Moon, the last Standard Doubles starts in half an hour, we have to go registe- hwhoaa!"

Still half asleep, Moon has fallen forward, and Gladion dives to catch her before her head slams into the floor. He ends up almost on one knee, struggling to keep her upright, while she lies unmoving against him.

A dead weight that, even through his panicked mind, feels _really_ good in his arms. Her cheek is pillowed against his shoulder, her warm, slender body pressed tightly against him (oh god, is she wearing anything under that shirt!?), and her hair, though looking like a bird's nest, carries a faint scent of sweet lavender.

_God, focus! The side event!_ Gladion screams at himself internally, even as his traitorous mind kept whispering 'very-soft-must-touch'. Keeping his hands firmly on her back, he rises desperately to his feet. Grabbing Moon's shoulders, he shakes her.

"MOON, WAKE UP!"

Her eyes snap open at last, and she blinks at him.

"...Gladion...?"

"There's only one Standard Doubles side event left, it starts in twenty minutes, so get dressed and let's _go!_"

To his great relief, Moon jumps into action without a word. Snatching up a pile of clothes thrown over a chair, she rushes into the bathroom to their left, snapping the light switch on with desperate force.

As the door slams shut behind her, Gladion heaves a huge sigh, and collapses on the carpeted floor. Heart still pounding from the mad dash down <strike>and from having _her_ in his arms</strike>, he reaches for the phone he had dropped earlier.

10.20. If they run, they can still make it.

He stands, looking absently around the room. Like his suite, the colour scheme is white and gold. It is small, with no partitions. Sunlight is peeping through a gap in the curtains, just enough to light the room. The place is fairly neat, apart from the table, which is covered with pouches, two empty cups of milk pudding, the contents of the goodie bag, and Moon's 3DS in its charging dock.

Crumpled bed covers lie on the floor, no doubt because Moon fell out when he woke her. Without thinking, Gladion picks them up to drag them over the bed.

They're still warm from her body heat, and smelling faintly of lavender. He flushes, realizing belatedly how inappropriate it was for him to enter her room while she was half conscious and dressed in <strike>much too thin</strike> sleep wear. Red would probably punch him if he found out.

But it wasn't like he had any other choice.

Moon emerges from the bathroom, fully dressed and hair normal. Gladion hastily tosses the covers onto her bed.

"I'm so sorry, the jet lag's really getting to me," she apologises, her face pink with embarrassment. She grabs her phone from the bedside table, snatches up her 3DS, and tosses both into her cloth bag. "Let's hurry!"

Thankfully, Moon doesn't say anything else about his being in her room. Evidently, she trusts him enough not to feel discomforted by his presence there. Equally evidently, she hasn't noticed his more-than-friendly feelings towards her. Which is both a relief and a disappointment at the same time.

But right now, there are more important things to worry about. They run across the walkway to the convention center, up the escalators to the exhibition hall floor. Moon's pace slows very quickly; apparently, her straight-A record does not extend to physical education class. She puts on a last burst of speed when they see the side event booths.

They weave through the crowd and race towards the table with stacks of registration forms and team sheets. Feverishly, they fill them out and charge up to the counter, smashing their sheets in front of the terrified lady seated behind.

To their credit, they had enough sanity to keep from screaming at the poor staff. She processes their registration as quickly as she can, checks their teams, then sends them off to the last empty table on the left.

"Ready to get wrecked?" Moon asks with a grin, placing her DS on the table and flexing her fingers.

"You wish," Gladion replies, aligning his DS with hers. "Hit the button whenever-"

_ **Standard Singles - Worlds 2017 Side Event ** _  
_20/08/2017_  
_11.00AM_  
_Pod E_  
_Standby..._

He stares at the screen, dumbfounded. Seeing his face, Moon peers at her own DS, then gasps.

"Singles!?"

"I thought we..."

They turn to look at the large, standing whiteboard beside them. Under the words "STANDARD SINGLES - 11AM", four groups of brackets are drawn. The staff lady is adding their names to the last two slots on the fourth bracket.

"Excuse me, Miss!" Moon calls. "We... we signed up for Doubles!"

The lady looks surprised, then looks down at the forms in her hands.

"No, dear, you filled the Singles form," the lady says, flipping the papers around. "See?"

Across the top of the registration forms, the words '_Standard Singles - Worlds 2017 Side Event' _are printed clearly. Moon groans, and Gladion buries his face in one hand.

"So, no mistakes!" The lady smiles at them, then turns to shout loudly over the noise of the crowd. "Standard Singles, 8-Person Single-Elimination Battles in four pods. You may _begin!_"

"This is so stupid," Gladion mumbles. "These teams aren't even built for Singles!"

Moon bursts out laughing. The players near them glance over, bemused, before they return to their games. A reluctant smile stretches across Gladion's face as he watches her. The shocked dismay that had filled him is fading fast. Once it does, he has to admit that the situation _is_ pretty funny.

Fate really doesn't want them to fight this year.

Moon wipes her tears of mirth away and sits up. "Let's just... play it anyway?" she asks, a lopsided grin on her face. Gladion nods.

"It's not like we have any other choice," he agrees, shrugging. They press the confirm button on their touch screens, and the battle begins.

* * *

The team preview screen goes up, but at this point, it's merely a reminder. Gladion knows exactly what Moon's team consists of, thanks to her stream. Considering how he hasn't changed his own team much since a month ago (apart from small adjustments to stats, moves and items), he assumes Moon also knows his team well.

Of course, Singles is very different from Doubles.

Gladion sends in Magnezone as a lead. Volt Switch is a great option to test the field, dealing chip damage and allowing the user to pick an answer to the opponent. He expects Moon to make the same choice with her Tapu Koko. The resulting Electric Terrain would be useful for him, too.

But Moon leads with Arcanine.

Gladion swears under his breath, switching Araquanid in. Of course, she knew instantly that the one Pokemon Magnezone couldn't face on her team is Arcanine. Glancing up, he catches Moon's eye, and she grins cheekily at him. Gritting his teeth, he forces himself to focus.

One of the reasons why Singles matches last longer than Doubles is the endless switching that inevitably happens. Without a partner, each Pokemon has to attack and consider their defenses at the same time. The result is a lot of switching on both sides, just to keep their Pokemon safe.

Tapu Koko. Porygon2. Kartana. Dealing bits of damage turn by turn.

Even without Trick Room, Gladion's Pokemon are bulky and hard-hitting. Knowing that she would struggle against his Hariyama, Moon stalls it out as long as she can, hoping that the burn from Flare Orb and Sandstorm would help put it into KO range.

Recognising her play, Gladion smiles. It is a smart move, and nearly pays off when her Gigalith manages to get a second Protect in, but it goes down at last to a Close Combat. Her Kartana is another huge problem to worry about, so he throws Porygon2 at it.

And it turns out that Moon didn't know about his last adjustment. He had given the Porygon2 just enough extra bulk to tank through a Sacred Sword. Hearing her sharp intake of breath at the retaliating Ice Beam, Gladion smirks. Kartana goes down like paper.

All that's left is for his Snorlax to come in, set up a Belly Drum, and sweep the rest.

Moon heaves a sigh and drops her stylus on the table. Looking over at him, she smiles.

"Congratulations," she says. "You've finally beaten me."

Gladion rubs the back of his neck absently. "It's just one-"

Then it hits him. Due to the length of Singles matches, the side events normally stick to a best-of-one model.

And he has just won.

For the first time in all of history, he's fought against Moon and _won_.

"It's not a format we're used to," he says awkwardly. "Heck, it's not what our teams are built for."

"In fact, it's much tougher for your Hard Trick Room team to handle Singles, compared to my Fakepg. The fact that you won anyway..." Moon laughs. "I think it says a lot about your skill, don't you?"

Still smiling, she holds out her hand. Silently, he shakes on it.

Victory against his rival doesn't feel as good as he had imagined it would.

* * *

Having no interest in continuing to play Singles, Gladion pulls out of the event. They head to the food booths to grab a quick lunch before they return to watch the VGC streams. It is the first time that either of them are visiting the booths, which sell a variety of Alolan snacks and Unovan fast food.

Much to Moon's disappointment, the malasada store is fully sold out.

They queue for fish and chips, with sweet ketchup for her and spicy chili sauce for him, then pop over to the back of the spectator area. High tables are set out for those who wish to eat. Despite the crowd, they manage to snag one fairly quickly.

From their position, they can just about see one of the screens where the TCG Senior finals are being streamed. Gladion only tried TCG for a few months, years ago, but somehow it didn't interest him the way VGC did, so he didn't bother going further. Moon has never played it at all.

"That child is so tiny, his cards are almost bigger than his hands," she observes, watching the player in question shuffling. Gladion grins.

"Yeah, Hau was the same when he first tried playing TCG. He used to be really small for his age. Occasionally, he even dropped half the deck on the table trying to shuffle," he says.

"Uwahhh, short people problems." Moon winces in sympathy. "At least he grew out of it."

"Jealous?" Gladion asks with a smirk. Moon smacks his shoulder with the back of her hand.

"I'm normal height for a Kantonian!" she says huffily. "We're smaller so we can fit more comfortably in our land and eat less resources."

"Red and Bruno are both pretty tall. Try harder," Gladion says, sipping his soda. Moon scowls at him.

"You tall people grow that way only 'cause you feel the need to Intimidate the rest of us," she says loftily. "Our Attack power is too high for you to handle otherwise."

Once again taken aback by her quick and witty response, Gladion chuckles. Moon grins triumphantly at him.

"You know it's true." She piles her empty paper bowls together and hops down from her seat. "Be right back, gonna head to the restroom."

Gladion finishes his own fries and dumps their trash neatly into the bins nearby. He moves to the side to wait for Moon, but it takes her nearly twenty minutes to return, after the TCG finals have begun.

"Long queue?" he guesses as they walk to find empty seats.

"No, I was just... putting on a bit of eyeliner, since I didn't have time in the morning." Moon explains. "It makes me look prettier."

Without thinking, Gladion blurts out, "You're already pretty." Something he regrets immediately when Moon stops walking, her face turning pink for the second time that day.

Crap, did he really just say that out loud?

She ducks her head for a second, then looks up at him. A warm, gentle smile, coupled with that utterly becoming shade of rose on her cheeks, and now he's the one who can't meet her eyes.

"Thanks."

"We should go find seats," Gladion says, hurriedly walking on and praying that she won't notice his face burning. "They're gonna start the Junior VG finals soon."

He is relieved when they find the other Alolans in one row, with empty seats beside them. He obviously can't keep his head straight when he's alone with Moon.

* * *

The Junior and Senior finals run by fairly quickly. Everyone applauds the good moves, but the inexperience and youth of the players mean that they also make a couple of choices that the Masters players aren't too impressed with.

Still, as Ilima says, they're young and improving fast. They cheer as the Johto representative Yoh is crowned Senior Champion, and then it's time for the last battle of the weekend.

The emcee announces the two players, who walk out one after another. Red Kaji, from Kanto, holding a pair of Pikachu plushies, which he sets up on his side of the table. Gold Monouchi, from Johto, wearing the black and gold Johtonian flag as a cape.

The two players sit and put on their headphones, waiting for the signal to begin. The commentators introduce Gold and his history on the global stage, citing his achievements in past Worlds and Internationals.

"Meanwhile Red here qualified only for a Day 1 invite, not Day 2. Yet he has gone undefeated so far at Worlds this weekend!"

"The hopes of Kanto lie upon him..."

"And now they've gone into team preview! Turn 0 has started, and this is the finals for the VGC Masters division of the Pokemon World Championships!"

By this time of day, most of the side events, as well as the Konikoni Open, have finished. All eyes are on the main stage, and the tension is at fever-high. In spite of the air-conditioning, Gladion can feel his skin sweating lightly from the intense lights and the crowds of people. The noise is overwhelming, with the music, sound effects and commentator voices blasting through the speakers on top of the spectators' chatter.

It's not the most comfortable situation to be in, but as they wait for a match that promises to be both exciting and impressive, Gladion knows that there is nowhere else he'd rather be.

Round 1 is a clear and straightforward win for Gold. Once Red's A-Marowak is knocked off the field by a Tectonic Rage, Gold's Xurkitree is free to run. It boosts up with a Tail Glow and sweeps the rest of Red's team. Cheers erupt from the Johto supporters, while the Kantonians groan.

Round 2 begins slightly differently on Red's side, with him bringing Whimsicott and Tapu Fini to face off Gold's Ninetales and Garchomp. Unlike the first round, this is a close match, with each player picking up KOs on the other side one after another. In the end, Red doubles into Mandibuzz with his Tapu Koko and Marowak, winning him the game.

For the third and last time, two teams of Pokemon appear on the HBPS for team preview. Gold and Red both take slightly longer than before to make their selections; there is a good deal riding on this last game, and a good lead could mean half the battle won.

Cries of dismay break out when Whimsicott fires off a Nature Power based Twinkle Tackle into Mandibuzz, as the dark bird is immune to Prankster-affected moves. Things look slightly bleak for Red, with his Z-move wasted. Xurkitree gets a Glow boost, and Red's team is worn down to two against three.

But the pivotal point happens when Red correctly anticipates Gold using Protect on his Garchomp, and fires dual Moonblasts into the Xurkitree. With bated breath, everyone watches as the holographic Xurkitree takes the second blow... and collapses, returning to its ball. Again, the audience erupts into roars of delight, with a sizable group chanting Red's name. The cheers continue throughout the final turn as Whimsicott and Tapu Fini easily clean up the field.

"And that's a one-hit KO from the Choice Specs Tapu Fini! Round of applause for Red Kaji, the 2017 Masters Division World Champion!"

Gladion applauds as Moon screams beside him. Red's instincts are terrifying, and the way he adjusts his strategy to Gold's moves is beyond impressive. Admittedly, his victory wasn't completely smooth-sailing, with Gold making some amazing plays as well, but Red's focus remained unwavering to the end. It makes a huge difference, for competitive battling is as much about stamina and intuition as it is about knowledge and strategy.

Someday, Gladion hopes to achieve that level of skill, too.

* * *

The closing ceremony goes by in a whirl. Winners of each category receive their Pikachu trophies. They stand on the plastic podiums, waving, soaking in the applause they deserve. Moon leaves with the Kantonians for a big celebration dinner. Apparently, they have plans to dine at the big seafood restaurant opposite the hotel.

Gladion and the other Alolans settle for Mao's Dining, situated next door. Even though Worlds is officially over, remnants of adrenaline are still cruising through them. The conversation topic throughout dinner continues to revolve around VGC.

"Mannnn, I can't believe it's almost over," Hau says, walking backwards in front of his friends. "Kinda wish it'd go on for another week!"

"You just say that because you don't want to get back to Professor Juniper's class," Kiawe jokes.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I haven't started on that colonization essay she set us..."

To their surprise, the hotel lobby is filled with a small crowd. They recognise a few familiar faces from the Unovan and Sinnohese competitive community scattered around, sitting on couches or leaning against pillars.

"What's going on?" Kiawe asks.

"An after party, I think," Ilima replies. "I heard that the Unovan players always organize an unofficial one after every Worlds. It's free for all."

"Bah, it's not an after party unless they're serving alcohol," Lana scoffs.

"You're underage," Gladion points out.

"Yes, and?"

The others laugh, while Ilima shakes his head in mock despair. His lecture is swallowed by a noisy cheer as the automatic front doors open, and Red walks in with the other triumphant Kantonians. The new World Champion is quickly enveloped by a wall of well-wishers and challengers.

Gladion sees Moon squeeze her way to more spacious grounds. Looking around, she notices him watching and grins.

"The life of a celebrity," he says once Moon gets close enough to hear. "He's not gonna be able to get away before midnight."

"Jealous?" Moon asks with a wink. Gladion winces.

"Hell no. I enjoy battling, not so much the fame part. Especially since it means everyone will be scouting your teams and play styles after you win," he says.

"True enough." Moon snickers as she watches Red almost fall over, courtesy of a really hard smack on the back by Gold. Recovering, he holds out a bottle and clinks it against Gold's. It seems someone managed to bring in beer somehow.

"I'm going to work hard," Moon says suddenly. "And then one day, I'm going to win Worlds."

Her words are reminiscent of Gladion's own thoughts earlier. It's something almost every competitive player dreams about. But now, gazing at Moon, seeing the faraway look in her eyes, steady and bold and completely determined... He doesn't doubt that she'll get there soon.

Remembering their game in the morning, Gladion comes to a decision.

"Let's battle," he says.

Moon turns, blinking. "Now?"

"Yes."

"I don't mind, but... why all of a sudden?" Moon asks with a bewildered laugh.

Gladion turns to face her fully. "You can't tell me you were satisfied with that sham of a match earlier today," he says. "That wasn't me at my best, and it definitely wasn't you at your best."

"Well, yes, maybe, but-"

"We're at the World Championships," Gladion says. "We both came here to face the world. To face each other. We've come this far together. And that... That wasn't a win. That was the Holiday Cup all over again."

The memory of her forfeit last year breathes between them. Their eyes lock.

"I want to challenge you to a proper battle. Here, at Worlds," he says.

Slowly, Moon smiles.

"You're such a battle maniac," she says, laughing softly.

"Pot calling kettle black?" he counters. Moon shakes her head, still chuckling.

"I accept your challenge," she replies.

Gladion grins. He reaches into his bag for his 3DS, but Moon puts out her hand to stop him.

"Wait," she says. "I have an idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Moon did scream noiselessly when she went into the bathroom and realised that Gladion saw her with bedhead and drool on her face.
> 
> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D 
> 
> VGC Glossary  
Fakepg - A team consisting of Tapu 'F'ini, 'A'rcanine, 'K'artana, (an 'E'lectric type), 'P'orygon2 and 'G'igalith
> 
> Red and Gold's battle (and their teams) are based on the finals between Ootsuba Ryota and Sam Pandelis at Worlds 2017. Gladion's team is inspired by Gavin Michaels' Hard Trick Room team.


	10. Turn 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity: this is a modern-world AU that is not exactly like our current world. The two main differences being the geography, and the Pokemon games.  
Primarily, the games focus on raising and battling Pokemon, with almost zero plot involved, apart from the general flow of Trainer Gets Starter > Earns Gym Badges > Defeats Pokemon League and Becomes Champion. The Pokemon, battle system and VGC formats are mostly the same.
> 
> The main reason I chose to create such a world is because it would be utterly stupid to have characters play the original SuMo and find that somehow they look very similar to the game characters, who also have the same names ^^;; So yeah
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

It is 8 o'clock, and the Konikoni Convention Center is almost empty. The attendees have all gone, and only the cleanup crew remains, slowly working to clear the exhibition hall.

"Of all the ideas you've ever gotten, this has got to be the worst," Gladion mumbles as Moon peeks through the crack in the slightly open door. "You know you can get arrested for trespassing, right?"

"They're still tearing down, the centre's not exactly closed yet," Moon says. "If we ask nicely..."

"What in the hell are you up to now, kid?" A tired, gravelly voice asks from behind them.

Gladion spins round. Nanu is glaring at them, a large box of torn decals in his arms.

"Planning to break in, are we?" he says.

"No--"

"It's not a break in if the door is still open," Moon pipes up.

"Moon!"

"What? It's true."

Nanu's lips are twitching. "She's got a point." As Gladion swings round to glare at him in disbelief, he shrugs. "Ya can't scold her, kid. Not when you did basically the same thing seven years ago."

"He did?" Moon's grin widens.

"Yeah, he was a total delinquent. Snuck through a window into a game shop just to use the HBPS," Nanu says, dropping the box and reaching back to hammer at one shoulder. "Other kids break in to steal stuff and wreck shit. Him? Sneaks in to play video games. He was a complete dork."

"That was a long time ago!" Gladion protests, his ears burning. Back when he and Hau were still young, and knew they probably would be able to get away with nothing more than a warning.

"I don't know," Moon says thoughtfully. "You definitely still exhibit some dork behaviour even now."

Gladion glares at her. "You're not helping."

Nanu cracks up, his dry, explosive laughter sounding almost like he was choking. He looks appraisingly from Gladion to Moon.

"So. Still wanna battle, eh?"

"We'll stay and help you clean up afterwards. If you'll let us in for about half an hour," Moon wheedles.

"Whatever. We got enough people to clean up." Nanu waves his hand dismissively. "Go on in."

The staff that see them running in look surprised, but Nanu stops them with a few words. Obligingly, they turn on the HBPS on the main stage. Though the rest of the stage lights are off, the feeling of being at Worlds still remains.

As Gladion places his 3DS on the battle dock, he feels the familiar excitement cruise through him. On the opposite side, Moon is setting up as well.

"You ready?" he asks.

"I'm always ready," she replies, smiling.

He has been waiting for this moment all year. The final battle of the season with his greatest rival.

Gladion grins. "Let's go!"

With flashes of lights, their teams blaze into holographic glory.

* * *

Magnezone. Araquanid. Porygon2. Hariyama. Mimikyu. Snorlax.

Tapu Koko. Tapu Fini. Arcanine. Kartana. Porygon2. Gigalith.

On Gladion's side, a team filled with bulky hard hitters that can sweep once Trick Room is set up. On Moon's side, a steady, balanced team that has competent answers to most of the threats in the metagame.

During his practice session with Ilima the night before, Gladion performed decently enough against her team. Although the choices that Moon makes will be different from Ilima's, he has at least gotten some experience with how her team runs, as well as various possible situations that might come up.

All he can do now is to trust in his team and fight to the best of his ability.

For the first game, Gladion leads with his usuals: Mimikyu and Snorlax, who have led him to victory many times before. Although Moon is aware of this most common Mimilax lead, he wants to see how she reacts to it.

She throws Kartana and Tapu Koko at him, one of the worst possible combinations for Mimilax to deal with. So he switches Mimikyu out with Hariyama, to avoid being lifted by Koko's Air Drop. She presses Dazzling Gleam, taking a huge chunk out of Hariyama and chipping away at Snorlax.

It ends when Snorlax goes down, Magnezone and Hariyama having no way to face off against Kartana with two Beast Boosts. Moon's Pokemon hit hard, and fast, and she obviously knows his most common patterns with this team.

That will be the information he takes to the next game.

Since Tapu Koko's Sky Drop is her main counter to his Trick Room, he brings Hariyama and Porygon2 as leads, hoping to catch Koko with a Fake Out while Porygon2 sets up.

Unfortunately, Tapu Fini and Arcanine materialize on her side of the battlefield. Gladion curses under his breath, gripping one wrist tightly in frustration. She's called his bluff before Turn 1 even starts. Taking a deep breath, he forces himself to concentrate. It is still possible for him to turn things around.

At the cost of Porygon2, he manages to get Arcanine out of play, allowing Magnezone to enter and threaten Fini. Judging it as the bigger threat compared to Kartana, he doubles on it in the next turn, and thankfully, Moon fails to protect it.

She sends out Tapu Koko in its place, and he knows he has to keep the momentum going. Feint to break Kartana's Detect, then Thunderbolt from Magnezone to capitalize on Koko's Electric Terrain. Kartana goes down, and the game is over.

Moon presses the forfeit button, recalling her Pokemon. Shaking her head, she grins wryly at him.

"I thought Calm Mind would be enough to let Fini survive the T-bolt," she says.

"Looks like someone needs to relearn their damage calcs," Gladion calls back.

"Don't get too cocky! We're going into game 3!"

"Ready when you are!"

Gladion spends a couple of seconds debating who to lead with for the final game, and finally decides on Mimikyu-Snorlax once more. Moon happily brings Kartana and Tapu Koko _again_, forcing him to switch Hariyama in. She sends out Arcanine in return.

Gladion stares at it, thinking fast. Right now, Moon needs to stop his Snorlax from setting up. Sky Drop wouldn't work on a heavy Pokemon, and he knows she doesn't have Taunt or Roar on her team.

It hits him when he sees Fini's terrain activate Arcanine's Misty Seed, leaving him itemless. Moon is going to press Thief. His Snorlax's Belly Drum is very reliant on the Berry he holds; without it, the resulting half HP cut would be far too limiting. He can choose to Protect, but that would only work once.

So he picks the only other solution, and swaps Snorlax out for Magnezone.

The moment Magnezone appears, screeching and sending sparks out, Moon heaves a huge gasp.

"OH. MY. _GOD."_

Gladion smirks. As expected, her Arcanine uses Thief, and it lands into Magnezone... stealing its Choice Specs. He's completely broken her ploy to stop Snorlax setting up, and on top of that, Arcanine is now choice-locked.

"Didn't work out the way you wanted, huh?"

She glares at him. "You wait. This isn't over yet!"

He takes down Tapu Fini with Z Destiny Bond on Mimikyu, while Snorlax sets up Belly Drum successfully. But Moon pushes ahead relentlessly, her razor sharp instincts reading a couple of his key switches far too accurately. Without Trick Room, all of her Pokemon move faster. Koko fires several Dazzling Gleams to put Snorlax within KO-range, and he loses Hariyama.

The chances of him winning have dwindled nearly to zero. But somehow, it doesn't feel as bad as he had imagined it would.

At the beginning, his desire to defeat Moon came from a need to prove himself. To know that he had gotten stronger after years of training and battling, and not remained stuck in the same old spot. As a rival he has been fighting against for years, Moon was the most efficient gauge to measure his own growth.

But Moon isn't a stagnant standard. Like him, she's been working hard throughout the year, building and experimenting with teams, practicing and learning the metagame, putting in every effort to become stronger.

Watching her now, with the light of battle in her eyes, knowing that they are fixed upon the Champion's trophy, and knowing, too, that she definitely has the ability to achieve it, Gladion feels a surge of respect, admiration and pride.

As a friend, he's glad to see her win, confident in her remarkable skills. As a Pokemon trainer, he's appreciative of the impressive plays that she's always putting out.

As a rival, he's inspired by her determination, her energy, and her valor.

Kartana's Sacred Sword connects, and with a groan, his Snorlax faints, crashing down onto the battlefield.

Once again, he has lost to Moon.

But he finds himself smiling as he walks around the HBPS to where Moon is standing.

"That was an amazing battle," she says, her eyes shining. "Your Magnezone switch-in was awful, and absolutely beautiful."

Gladion shrugs, sighing lightly. "Still lost."

"That doesn't change the fact that you played wonderfully, and you should be proud of that!" Moon offers him a handshake. "No hard feelings?"

He takes her hand. It is warm, and small, and trembling slightly from the adrenaline rush.

"When have I ever felt any from losing to you?" he asks.

Moon raises an eyebrow at him, her lips twitching. But she says nothing, and he rolls his eyes, scowling.

"All right, fine, I used to be pretty sulky over losing to you," he grouches. Moon giggles, and his lips twist into an involuntary smile. "But I've learnt a lot from this. You fought way better here than you did this morning. So even though I didn't win, I'm glad we did this."

"You play much better in doubles, too," Moon says, laughing softly. Slowly, she moves to hold his hand in both of hers. Looking up at him, she beams. "This was the best match I've had all weekend. Thank you."

"...Me too." Even in the dim lighting on the stage, her smile is radiant, warm and bright with elation. Gladion gazes into her eyes, soft with affection, and he feels as though he could drown in them forever.

_Oh._

And then they hear the sound of sandals dragging across the wooden stage floor.

"Look, if you're done, kiss and get off the damn stage," Nanu demands, waving an A-Exeggutor standee at them.

They burst into laughter at his grumpy, matter-of-fact tone, both their faces flushed redder than a Scizor. But neither of them denies his accusation, and, hands still clasped, they walk offstage to help clean up.

* * *

On Monday, Hobbes drives over to Kulani to pick up Gladion, Hau and Moon. Red doesn't even hesitate about letting his ward go off for the day; he merely tousles Moon's hair and warns Gladion to "Have her home by 6! Or rather have her at the airport by 6, since we got a flight to catch." The teasing insinuation is clear, and Gladion splutters a bit while Moon rolls her eyes at them.

They drop Hau off at his house before heading back to Aether Mansion. The moment they enter the wide driveway, Silva and Zo dash out, barking enthusiastically. As soon as Hobbes stops the car, Moon and Gladion are out on the lawn, getting mauled by two excited fur monsters, bouncing up at them and licking every inch of bare skin they can find.

They spend most of the day in the garden, playing with the dogs (and Snowball, after she gets over her initial fear of Moon). They talk to each other about their families, complain about school and annoying commentators, chat about inconsequential things like bad pet habits. Moon tells him about her interest in plants, and her dream to work in a botanical garden. Gladion tells her he hopes to work with dogs; either as an obedience trainer, or a police dog handler.

Theirs is rather a strange friendship. One week ago, he had no idea what Moon's favourite drink is, or how she feels towards her parents. But he knew her biggest pet peeve at tournaments (bad organization leading to massive delays), her literature class reading (Hamlet), and the fact that she loves wearing clothes with big pockets so she can stick her phone and 3DS in them.

He knew her without really knowing her. And she'd probably say the same about him.

He already knows that he is attracted to her. From the way she looked at him on the stage at Worlds, she seems to carry some affection for him as well. Yet there's always the possibility that he's misread the situation completely, that she merely thinks of him as just a friend. If he brings up the topic and it turns out he's wrong, he'd never be able to face her again.

So he keeps the conversation on safer topics. Keeps up a light banter, teasing her, scowling at her when she bites back, laughing with her. It's not difficult, for he truly enjoys befriending Moon all over again.

All too soon, the hours go by, and soon, the sun is hanging low to the west. Moon says goodbye to the dogs (and cat) and Lillie. Hobbes drives them to the airport, stopping at the drop off point. Gladion lifts her small suitcase from the boot, and they head towards the departure gates, still talking hard.

"Yeah, Hau said he had one signed by ROXie, but Zo chewed the whole signature right off," Moon says.

Gladion eyes her consideringly. "When did Hau tell you that?" As far as he can remember, he was present each time the two of them met during the weekend, and the topic of Zo destroying flip flops had never come up.

Moon blinks. A guilty smile creeps over her face.

"Aaaaactually..."

"Actually?"

"We've been Facepage friends for a few months now," Moon admits with a grin. "How else do you think I recognised him on Saturday?"

"Huh." Gladion shakes his head. "I didn't even think about that."

Moon chuckles. "He added me out of curiosity, since you were apparently talking to me a lot. He said you were an antisocial edgelord who never used to spend so much time on messenger."

"I'm gonna kill him," Gladion mutters crossly. "With friends like that, who needs enemies?"

Moon laughs. "Hau _is_ a good friend! He always tells me when you were playing in a tournament, since you normally never mention them yourself."

Gladion stares at her as the implications of her words sink in. "Are you saying you got Hau to help you stalk me on stream?" he demands. Moon's eyes widened, and she puffs out her reddening cheeks, looking away in embarrassment.

"...W-when you put it that way..." she stammers uncomfortably. Gladion snickers at her, turning away and covering his face with one hand to hide his own blush. He can't resist one last twist of the knife.

"That's why you always stayed up to stupid o'clock to watch Alolan streams?"

"Oh my god, _stooooop_," Moon moans, speeding up as if her life depended on her outwalking him. "You're the _worst_."

With his longer stride, he catches up easily.

"And you're ridiculous," he retorts, smirking. Moon sticks her tongue out at him. "Not to mention very mature."

"Too bad, you're stuck in this friendship with me now," she sings.

He laughs, remembering that she's said the exact same thing in a message months ago.

_Friends._

They reach the departure lobby. "Well, here we are! Thanks for everything," Moon says, taking her suitcase from him.

Gladion holds out a small brown paper bag to her. "Here."

"What is it?" Moon asks curiously. Peering in, she gasps. "Malasadas!"

"Since you haven't managed to buy any, I asked Hobbes to bake some. Gotta help you achieve one of your tourist goals," Gladion says. With a crooked smile, he adds, "They're filled with yoghurt."

Moon bursts out laughing, causing a few people to turn and stare at her. She covers her mouth, trying to reign in her giggles. "You're the best," she gasps between breaths.

"Thought you just said I'm the worst?" Gladion asks with a mock-frown. Moon drops the paper bag on top of her suitcase, where it balances surprisingly well. Reaching up, she embraces him tightly.

"You're the best," she repeats, leaning her cheek against his chest. Gladion swallows.

He puts his arms around her, holding her close. He's hugged Lillie plenty of times, but somehow this feels completely different. The now familiar smell of lavender wafts from her hair, and his heart is beginning to pound so hard she can probably hear it.

"I'm going to miss you," Moon whispers.

He wonders if murder by embarrassment is a crime.

"You're always messaging me on Facepage anyway," he manages. Thank heavens she's staring into his shirt and not at his red face. But at his words, she pulls back slightly to look up into his eyes.

"Does that bother you?" she murmurs.

Their faces are barely inches apart.

"No," he croaks. Mortified, he gulps, and tries again to speak normally. "I... don't hate... talking to you."

Perfect.

"Good." Moon is smiling again, that radiant, beautiful smile. Slowly, she leans up, brushing his blond hair out of his eyes. Automatically, he lowers his head, closing the space between them.

Her lips were soft, melding easily to his, as if she, too, has been waiting for this the whole day. He moves slowly, hesitantly, as if he fears scaring her away. Cupping her cheek with one hand, he angles her face and deepens the kiss.

He can taste the forest white tea served at Aether, and hints of honey from the waffles they ate. She bunches her fingers into his shirt, dragging him closer, nipping at his lips. He sighs at the sensation, his arms tightening around her, pressing her more firmly against him.

It seems like an eternity later when they part, breaths still mingling, gazing at each other with heated eyes. The world comes into focus around them, takeoff announcements suddenly loud again, and people steering trolleys around them.

Gladion clears his throat. "Guess we're not just _friends_ anymore," he mumbles.

Moon giggles, leaning back in his arms.

"We're rivals with benefits," she says with a wink, laughing as he groans. "Let's meet again at Worlds next year."

Behind her, Gladion sees Red and the other Kantonians approaching. Their time is up.

Leaning over, he kisses her one last time, and smiles.

"Challenge accepted."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd we're almost done! One short epilogue left!!
> 
> Special thanks to Frozenleaf, my wonderful beta and friend, who is the main reason I even wrote this fic. She was the one who first introduced me to VGC, she gave me so much help writing it, and all mistakes with regards to competitive battling in this fic are entirely my fault 8'D 
> 
> Games 1 and 2 are fully choreographed by Frozenleaf, while Game 3 is the result of us playing each other =D


	11. Epilogue

'_**Moon: **_  
_Hmm that is a tough choice oO_  
_Who's the last one on your team?'_

'_**Gladion: **_  
_Incineroar'_

'_**Moon: **_  
_Ahh the favourite son'_

'_**Gladion:**_  
_Told you from the start_  
_Hes the best starter_  
_You dont see decidueye appearing in the rankings'_

'_**Moon:**_  
_>=(_  
_Oh! We've reached!_  
_I can see the convention center! :-)'_

'_**Gladion: **_  
_Were waiting to the left of registration'_

'_**Moon:**_  
_Okay!_  
_I'll see you soon <3_  
_Have you missed me? :-) :-)_  
_(Just be honest and say yes)'_

'_**Gladion: **_  
_Yes'_

'_**Moon: **_  
_…...I take it back please stop being honest /////////////_  
_I liked it better when I could laugh at your embarrassment QwQ_  
_Please tell me you're blushing at least'_

'_**Gladion:**_  
_Even if i were_  
_Do you really think id tell you'_

'_**Moon: **_  
_I can always message Hau ;-D'_

'_**Gladion:**_  
_Dont you dare'_

'_**Moon:**_  
_:-D :-D :-D :-D_  
_SO __IS THAT A YES'_

'_**Gladion: **_  
_Get out'_

'_**Moon: **_  
_I haven't even gone in yet_  
_HAHAHAHAHA'_

* * *

The 2019 Pokemon World Championships are being held in Nimbasa CIty Convention Center, in Unova. This time, the theme is Museums, so the decorations around the exhibition hall are centered around fossils, rocks and other exhibits. The VGC community has grown even bigger over the past two years, and the crowd is bursting with excitement.

It is Day 3, and the VGC Masters finals are about to start.

Gladion is standing in the dimly lit backstage with two judges, waiting. Music from the USUM soundtrack is playing on stage, and the buzz of the crowds can faintly be heard.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he turns to see Moon walking up the small flight of stairs with another judge. She beams at him.

"So," he says quietly, when she's standing next to him. "Are you ready?"

"Of course!" Moon whispers. "I can't believe it took us two years to get here."

Gladion nods in agreement. "First time we're fighting each other at Worlds, and it's the finals. Very dramatic."

"Well... That's generally how rivalry works," Moon says with a laugh. "We only get to see each other during the fated, climatic battle."

He snorts. "Are you still going on with that whole You're-the-Protagonist, I'm-the-Rival thing?"

"I have a new thing now. It's called Rivals-to-Lovers." She winks at him. Gladion rolls his eyes in exasperation, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you," he says sternly, the ghost of a grin lurking at the corners of his lips.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Moon returns, smiling back.

The emcee's voice comes out strongly through the stage monitors.

"Now... It's time to welcome our finalists! Give it up for Kanto's representative..."

And then they are walking through the two entrances onto the stage.

The audience is screaming and clapping, the cameras are trained on them, the emcee is requesting they shake hands. All he sees is Moon: her beautiful gray-blue eyes, glinting with teasing affection, and her warm, lopsided smile. She squeezes his hand gently, and he grins back.

Taking their positions, they pull on headphones and look up at each other over the battlefield.

"Let's go," Gladion says. Moon smirks.

"Can't wait to beat you… again."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND IT'S FINALLY OVERRRR!! \o/ I can't believe I completed my first multichapter in years 8'D  
This fic would not have been possible if it weren't for one person. Thank you, Frozenleaf, for giving me the concept of this fic, for teaching me to play VGC, for patiently sitting with me through all those battles while I struggled to stop pressing Fake Out and Protect all the time. Thank you for beta reading all my chapters, and for dealing with my angst when I felt like I'd lost my original direction for the fic. Encore is specially dedicated to you! <333
> 
> Additional thanks to pkmntrashcan, who helped me with a formatting question during the early chapters <3 Thanks to Alan, who will probably never see this, for helping me with my (very short) VGC 2019 journey haha.
> 
> Lastly, thanks to all you readers for staying with this fic until the end! I hope you've enjoyed reading Encore as much as I have writing it =D


End file.
